Philip is a schoolboy.1his twelfth birthday, he decided to give up eating meat.
"I don't think it's right to eat animals," he said, "they live on the earth just like us and they are our friends." Philip's parents were not2about that. "You are a growing boy," his mother said. "You need3. Don't you want to become4and taller?" His mother put some beef, rice and carrots5him. "I want you to eat all your food now," she said. "Don't leave6."Philip didn't want to make his mother sad. But he ate only the rice and the carrots7touching the beef.
"You're a silly boy!" said his father8"I'm getting very angry with you."
"I'm sorry, Mum and Dad,"9Philip. "I don't want you to be sad or angry. But I really don't want to eat any meat."
"Then have some10, dear," said his mother.
"Oh no, I can't!" cried Philip. "Fish are living things, too."
"Well, you can't have anything to eat at all11you don't eat any meat or fish."" said his father.
The next12Philip got up hungrily. His father walked to the school with him and asked to see the teacher. "Is this what you teach the students at school?"' he asked the teacher. "Philip doesn't13to eat meat at home. He doesn't listen to14I say."
"I don't agree with Philip," replied the teacher. "But I think he is brave to do what he thinks is15. We teach the students to do that."
