Fingernails

Fingernails “ OUCH! ” cries Sammy. “ That hurts. ” She just hit her finger with a hammer while trying to hang a picture on the wall. Sammy feels an ache in her finger. Every time her heart beats, she feels the pain. So her father takes her to the doctor. The doctor looks at Sammy's finger. He says, " That must hurt. There are a lot of little nerves in your fingers. Nerves tell your brain when something hurts. Fingers are VERY sensitive to pain. ” Sammy is a smart little girl. She thinks about it for a minute. Then she says, " Doctor Jones, why does it hurt when I hit my finger, but it does not hurt when I cut my fingernails?"

The doctor smiles. " Good question, " he says. " Your fingernails are there at the end of your fingers. But they are not your fingers. Fingernails do not have nerves. They cannot feel anything. ” Sammy smiles. She thinks she knows the answer, but asks anyway, " So is that why my hair doesn't hurt when l cut it?”