no subject

[ Trahearne returns the boy's confused stare with a sympathetic, somewhat tense one of his own.

Oh dear. Before he writes, he reaches out to pat him on the shoulder, as though trying to soothe him. ]

All life is precious, but that includes you. If you need to eat meat to survive and be healthy, then it's okay to eat animals.

Some animals are precious friends to people. Don't eat those.

Some animals are raised to feed people. Ask the owners before you eat them.

Some animals are wild. If you are in the forest and are hungry, it's okay to eat them.

But some animals want to eat you. These are not friends. Fight back, or get help.

[ Does that break it down? It's a bit on the simple side, but hopefully his message gets across.

He also does not want the boy to get attacked by a hungry bear if he ventures out into the woods. ]