He Beet Her

(I am eating lunch alone at a bakery/deli. A mother and her two sons, the youngest being about six years old, decide to sit next to me. The youngest one is being sassy about everything, and I’m trying really hard not to laugh.)

Mom: “You should try my pasta; I think you’ll really like it.”

Six-Year-Old Son: “Mmmm… no.”

Mom: “But it’s got all kinds of things you like. Fettuccine, cheese, basil—”

Six-Year-Old Son: “Basil? What the heck is basil?”

Mom: “I put it in tons of stuff. You like it; just try it.”

Six-Year-Old Son: “No.”

Mom: “I think you should. I might try to make this at home.”

Six-Year-Old Son: “No, you won’t.”

Mom: “Come on, try it. I promise you’ll like it.”

Six-Year-Old Son: “Well, mother, you also promised I’d like beets, and look where that got us.”