Where He Played

At first they thought he simply had bad luck with pets. They gave him a puppy; it ran away. They gave him another; it ran away. The first kitten ran away as well. His father caught him with the second kitten.

They sent him to a counselor, once a week for fifty minutes, and bought him no more pets. But he was a clever boy and they lived on the very edge of the suburbs, in a wooded area with a pleasant brook. There were squirrels and rabbits, robins and sparrows. They encouraged him to play outside. It was healthier than those violent video games.