Responsibility

>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