Narcissus with a Self-Image Problem

7 year-old:: Is this a bulb?
Me:: Yes. It's a daffodil bulb.
7 year-old:: You mean this will grow into a daffodil?
Me:: Yes. It will be the same as the daffodils that grew by the sandbox. The ones that smelled nice. [N. 'Sweet Love']
7 year-old:: Oooh. I remember those. Those were pretty. The smelled really nice right before they died. What are [sic] this gray stuff?
Me:: Those are its roots. They're just dried up a bit.
7 year-old:: Is it dead?
Me:: No, it's just sleeping. I'll plant it in the ground and this winter; it'll get cold and wet and be all ready to wake up and flower next spring.
7 year-old:: Oh. So it'll get wet and wake up. Won't it be too cold outside?
Me:: No, it'll be fine. See that brown papery stuff? That'll keep it warm and cozy till spring.
7 year-old:: That's what that is! I thought it was a bag.
Me:: A bag?
7 year-old:: Yeah. Since it looked all dead and gross I thought it wore a bag to cover its head up until the daffodil came out.

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