This is Luiz and his mom in conversation about the food she’s just given him. Luiz is wonderful.

Luiz- That’s ok?

Mom- Ok… Now eat your octopus gnocchi.

Luiz- Ok Mom, alright. This octopus isn’t real, right?

Mom- No.

Luiz- Then, alright. He doesn’t speak and he doesn’t have a head, right?

Mom- He doesn’t have a head. These are only the chopped little legs of the octopus.

Luiz- huh? But his head is in the sea?

Mom- It is at the fish market.

Luiz- The man chopped it? Like this?

Mom- Yes, he did.

Luiz- Why?

Mom- So we can eat it. Otherwise we’d have to swallow it all.

Luiz- But why?

Mom- So we can eat it, love. Just like a cow is chopped, a chicken is chopped…

Luiz- Ah… the chicken. Nobody eats chicken.

Mom- Nobody eats chicken?

Luiz- No, those are animals!

Mom- Really?

Luiz- Yeah!

Mom- So let’s eat the gnocchi? Eat the potato then?

Luiz- Just the potato and just the rice.

Mom- Ok.

Luiz- Octopus are animals.

Mom- Alright.

Luiz- All of them are animals. Fish are animals. Octopus are animals. Chicken are animals. Cows are animals. Pigs are animals.

Mom- yeah.

Luiz- So when we eat animals, they die!

Mom- ah. yeah.

Luiz- Why?

Mom- So we can eat, love.

Luiz- Why do they die? I don’t like that they die. I like that they stay standing up.

Mom- Ok. Alright. So we’re not gonna eat it anymore, ok?

Luiz- Ok!

Luiz- These animals, you gotta take care of them and not eat them!

Mom- You’re right, son. So eat the potato and rice.

Luiz- Alright. Why are you crying?

Mom- I’m not crying. I’m just touched by you.

Luiz- I’m doing something beautiful.

Mom- Eat. No need to eat the octopus, alright?

Luis- Ok!

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Magic. Kids know what’s right. And that feels like heart exploding magic and logic all at once.