Stink Bugs: Top of the Food Chain

Can you stand another kid story?  (I have a million of 'em and they just keep coming...)

Pretty much every morning, bright and early, after Dan leaves for work and before everyone else is stirring, William climbs into bed with me for a snuggle and some conversation.  This is a habit that his older siblings sneer at a little, but I grab hold of it and hold it close with with both hands.  This little guy is my last baby and he's growing fast; too soon he'll be too grown up to snuggle with Mommy. (=sigh= I miss all my *littles* when they're big...)

Anyway, this morning after a good tickle, William and I somehow landed on the topic of predators and prey.  (I'm not sure how we got there; we started out talking about how we didn't remember our dreams last night.)

"So mice are pretty much the bottom of the food chain," William deduced after we discussed how many critters out there depend on them for sustenance (or at least appetizers).  "So, what's at the top of the food chain?"

"I'd say lions were up there," I said.

"But people shoot lions,"  William added.

Stink but:  top of the food chain

"And lions eat people, too, though,"  I had to mention, "so I guess they share top spot."

"Yep," he agreed, "lions and people -- and stink bugs."

"What?  Stink bugs? How do you figure that, William?"

"Well, nothing eats stink bugs.  They might even be at the top of the food chain, the way I'm thinking."

So, mark it down, folks.  Top of the food chain:  Stink bugs, followed by Lion and Man, sharing second place.