Hearts and Brains

Leo and I started reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, as Alex and I did when he was three. Tonight, Alex joined us for chapter 5, in which Dorothy and the Scarecrow meet the Tin Woodman. Scarecrow and Woodman debate whether it is more important to have a brain or a heart, and so I asked the boys what they thought.

Without skipping a beat, Leo said, "A heart." I asked if he was sure, if he thought it better to have a brain for thinking or a heart for loving, and he confidently replied, "A heart for loving."

When I asked Alex, he looked ponderous for a moment. Then he replied, "A heart. You might be a little bit crazy, but at least you wouldn't hurt anybody, because you'll love them."

Neither one will ever make it in politics.

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Indiana Idylls

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