>At home reading the paper after an average day at work >Your son walks in and places his book bag on the couch >"Hey, Slugger, how was school?" you ask >"It was ok, I'm going to Tubby's in a bit to work on our science project" >You nod and light your pipe >Just then your son pulls a tan colored critter from his bag >"Say, champ, watcha got there?" you ask >"Oh, a fluffy pony, found it on the way home. Thought he'd make a neat pet." >Set your paper down and take a puff on your pipe >"I don't know, chief, it's a big responsibility" you tell him >The fluffy chews on a math book >"You'd have to feed it, clean up after it and spend time with it." >"That doesn't sound so hard hard" he says >You wipe a smudge off your glasses >"That so? Active boy like you would have to make several changes." >"Like what, Pop?" he asks >"Well, fluffies need a lot of attention, can't leave them alone for long" >"You'd have to give up on sports and seeing your friends" >The boy looks down at the pony >"Then there's hygiene, fluffy ponies are naturally filthy" >You lay the newspaper on the floor and put the fluffy on it >Within seconds, it poops on the business section >"Imagine that without the paper and happening all the time." >"Golly" he says >"Golly is right, sport, the more they eat, the more of that they make." >"Gee, Pop, maybe I'm not ready for a pet" he sadly says >You walk over and pat him on the back >"Someday, you will be, son. Now run off to Tubby's." >"I'll make sure our new friend here is taken care of" >Once he's gone, you kick the fluffy into the fireplace and light a match >It runs back and forth behind the screen yelling in agony >After it stops moving, you head out to pick up another newspaper