Roald Dahl also mused on this in his 1982 children's novel The BFG: 'I can hear plants and trees.' 'Do they talk?' Sophie asked. 'They is not exactly talking

Roald Dahl also mused on this in his 1982 children's novel The BFG: 'I can hear plants and trees.' 'Do they talk?' Sophie asked. 'They is not exactly talking,' the BFG said. 'But they is making noises. For instance, if I come along and I is picking a lovely flower, if I is twisting the stem of the flower till it breaks, then the plant is screaming. I can hear it screaming and screaming very clear.' 'You don't mean it!' Sophie cried. 'How awful!' 'It is screaming just like you would be screaming if someone was twisting your arm right off.' 'Is that really true?' Sophie asked. 'You think I is swizzfiggling you?' 'It is rather hard to believe.' 'Then I is stopping right here,' said the BFG sharply. 'I is not wishing to be called a fibster.'