Sticks and Stones (Nursery Rhyme)

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[edit] Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Stones is a popular English-language Nursery Rhyme.

The rhyme instructs in two ways, one for children and one for adults:

1. It persuades the child victim of name-calling to ignore the taunt, to refrain from physical retaliation, and to remain calm and good-natured.

2. It reminds adults to mind the Founders sage advice in the First Amendment to the Constitution regarding freedom of speech.^{[citation needed]}

Sometimes the first instruction and second are for Adults and Children respectively.

The rhyme commences thusly:

Sticks and Stones
Will Break My Bones
But Names Will Never Hurt Me.

Alternate version is:

Sticks and stones
May break my bones
But words will never hurt me.

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