I once asked my dad, “Why do the animals we eat have to die?

“

My dad smiled and reacted with a poised frown that spoke for him as if he was the wisest man in the world and all the answers off the world where known to him.

“They have to die son, because like the tomatoe they are our food.”

“Tell me about the tomatoe then da.”

And this was his story.

Once years and years ago in a world that knew no crosses and no wagons but had the wheel a patch of tomatoes contemplated the sun. They has been raised that way by their elders. And so they waited and waited. “What for?” said the young tomatoe. An older red tomatoe looked real thoughtful in the way only tomatoes can and then answered, “For the farmer my young friend.”

“What about him?” went the young one.

“You will see.” said a giggling group of greenery.

The tomatoes went on with their lives untill the day came that the farmer spread some much needed manure on the patch and mumbled something about how horrible the aztezan gods can be.

After he left some time later a group of feathery people came by and demanded in angry aztecan that they be given more of the farmers produce.

The farmer grumbled and moaned, seeing his profits evaporate before the sun, but relented eventually..

That day, he came out off his house, looking miserable and even a little mean, and he went straight for the patch of tomatoes.

“The day has come.” went the tomatoes.

“What day?” asked the now slightly red formerly green tomatoe.

“The day of the sun.”

So the farmer, took his sickle and a bag and started cutting the young and older tomatoes till his bag was nearly full.. Coming to the young tomatoe, he relented and thought.. if he left it the soldiers would get angry but if he cut it the young tomatoe might taste bad since it was still so young.

He came to a decision…

The young tomatoe saw the blade coming at him like a flash of lightning and for a brief while he felt the most accute pain. Then he was in a dark place…

For a while the tomatoes travelled but eventually they came to the city where they where taken to the court of the young aztecan king and presented like fine treasures from abroad.

The king saw the young tomatoe.

And knowing himself to be young and wanting to stay that way he took a bite out off the tomatoe..

And the young tomatoe?

He screamed.

“So now when you ask me why should all animals we eat suffer, remember the tomatoe.”

“In truth there can be no life without suffering… The best we can do is make it less horrible for those that we eat.”