The Punching Game

[Just before lunch]

Weston (running in from outside and almost breathless): Max has a bloody nose.

Mom: Really?! What happened?

Weston: We were playing The Punching Game, and I punched him in the nose.

Mom: You punched your brother in the nose?! Please go wait for me on your bed.

[Mom exits the building to assess the situation. What she finds is one small boy, struggling to get off the trampoline and put his boots on, whose face, hands and jeans are smeared with bright red blood]

Mom: What happened Max?

Max: Weston punched me in the nose.

Mom: Were you playing The Punching Game?

Max: Yes.

Mom: If I were you, I wouldn't play that game anymore.

[Mom cleans up the little one and turns her attention to the big one]

Mom: Please tell me why you punched your brother in the nose.

Weston: We were playing The Punching Game. He punched me and then I decided to punch him back.

Mom: Didn't you think you might hurt him if you punched him in the nose?

Weston: Well, I didn't know I was going to punch him in the nose, because I wasn't looking.

Mom: So, you were just randomly punching with your eyes closed?

Weston: No, my eyes were open; I just had my head turned so I couldn't see where I was punching.

Mom: But are you supposed to be punching at all?

Weston: No.

[Mom administers justice and strictly forbids any future playing of "The Punching Game"]