Photo by Derek Thomson on Unsplash
Daughter: “Daddy, Mommy said there used to be animals in the sea.”
Father: “There were fish, and lots of other living things too. Turtles and octopus, sea otters, and whales. Whales were the biggest animals that ever lived,”
Daughter: “How big are they?”
Father: “They were longer than the buses back home. Bigger than our house.”
Daughter: “Can we see one today?”
Father: “No, they are all gone honey. We have them in the ocean book back home.”
Daughter: “I like the orca whale. I wish I could see a real one.”
Father: “We can get you a whale stuffed animal back at the shop.”
Daughter: “No thanks.”
Father: “Want to catch a jellyfish? They are everywhere.”
Daughter: “Jellyfish taste yucky.”
Father: “They certainly do.”
Daughter: “Why did the whales die?”
Father: “The ocean changed too fast for them. It got too warm, and their food died.”
Daughter: “Why did the ocean change fast?”
Father: “Mostly because of pollution from people.
Daughter: “That was dumb.”
Father: “Yes it was.”
Daughter. “If we clean up the ocean, will the Orca come back?”
Father: “I think I hear mommy calling. We have to get home for dinner.”
Daughter: “No jellyfish and seaweed cakes.”
Father: “I think we’re having pretend crab.”
Daughter: “That tastes weird.”
Father: “Yes, yes it does.”
Grimly plausible!