In the car earlier today, the girls got into a discussion about what it means to be guilty. It all started with Aslan asking why the mayor of Lazytown, in a recent episode of her current favorite TV show, said that Sportacus, the hero of the show, was guilty. (Apparently, Sportacus had been accused of the crime of eating Miss Busybody's birthday cake.) The rest of the conversation went something like this:
Me (a little confused--I didn't actually see this episode): "I'm not sure."
Aslan (knew the answer all along, was just checking to see if we were paying attention): "It means he ate the cake."
Me (trying to clarify): "Well, guilty means you really did whatever they said you did."
Aslan (sticking to her point): "No, it means he ate the cake."
Bookworm (loves to explain big words to the little 'uns): "Guilty means you're not innocent."
Doc (not about to let her get away with simply negating the opposite): "So what does innocent mean?"
Bookworm (cheerfully taking the bait): "It means not guilty."
Me (still trying to help actually produce a usable definition): "So can you explain what it means to someone without using the word innocent?"
Buzz (not about to be left out of the conversation): "You could use sign language!"
Me (still trying...): "And what if they don't know sign language?"
Buzz (could do this all day): "Speak Spanish!"
Aslan (frustrated, but refusing to be sidetracked): "No! It means he ate the cake!"
Actually, Aslan could turn out to have the makings of a first-class debater, if not a defense attorney. After all, anyone who knows anything about Lazytown knows that when it comes to sweets, Sportacus had to have been framed.
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