When I was five years old, we had a cat. On Easter Sunday, she had four
kittens. OOh, my brother and I were so excited and happy. We each had our
favorite kitten we curled up with. Well, the cat had the kittens in the
dirty clothes hamper. Understandably, mom didn't think that was the best
place for the kittens to live, both for their sake and for ours. So she
fixed up a little cat home in the garage. The kittens didn't mind, and the
mother cat didn't really have a problem with it either.
But a strange thing happend. A few days went by, and we noticed there were
only three kittens instead of four. Awhile later, another one disappeared.
Then another, and finally the last one vanished. All four of them. Mom and
dad didn't tell us at the time, but they believed the father came into the
garage, and kidnapped and killed the kittens. Something to do with
eliminating competition maybe. Does this happen?
Really sad story, I know. I'm glad our parents didn't tell us what they
believed happened. I was five, and my brother was three. We would have been
devastated.

--

The song of the Sirens is irresistible. Those who hear it and have not been
tied
to the mast like Odysseus will perish among the rocks (c.f. - The Odyssey).