::laughter::

Whilst walking back to the house a few minutes ago, I came across a couple of boys (about 11 or 12 years of age), one of whom was crouched down (Boy 1), about to do something to the tire of someone’s car, the other who was watching (Boy 2).  After the watching one communicated to the crouching one that someone was coming, and after crouching one had sprung up with a guilty smile, I had a laughing conversation which went something like this:

Me: “Whatever it is you were about to do, it’s probably not a very good idea.”
Boy 1: “But we’re boys! We have to do things like this!”
Boy 2 (quietly): “Yeah!”
Me: “Just because you’re boys, you want to do something stupid?”
Boy 2 (quietly): “No...”
Boy 1: “But we’re kids!  We can’t go to prison!”
Me: “But you can go to juvie...”
Both boys (eyes wide): “What’s that?”
Me: “That’s what it’s called in the States, but I know that you have it over here, too.  It’s a place where they can lock you up if you’re under 18, like prison, only not with adults.”
Both boys (eyes wide): “Ohhhh...”