Arcadia, de Tom Stoppard, começa com um diálogo bastante divertido entre uma rapariga de treze anos e o seu preceptor privado, perito na arte de responder a perguntas difíceis e de manter crianças e adolescentes entretidos. Alguns exemplos:

Thomasina Septimus, what is carnal embrace?
Septimus Carnal embrace is the practice of throwing one’s arms around a side of beef.
Thomasina Is that all?
Septimus No … a soulder of mutton, a haunch of venison well hugged, an embrace of grouse … caro, carnis; feminine; flesh.
Thomasina Is it a sin?
Septimus No necessarily, my lady, but when carnal embrace is sinful it is a sin of the flesh, QED. […]
I thought you were finding a proof for Fermat’s last theorem.
Thomasina It is very difficult, Septimus. You will have to show me how.
Septimus If I knew how, there would be no need to ask you. Fermat’s last theorem has kept people busy for a hundred and fifty years, and I hoped it would keep you busy long enough for me to read Mr Chater’s poem in praise of love with only the distraction of its own absurdities.”

Infelizmente, parece que já alguém conseguiu provar o último teorema de Fermat e por isso não posso usar o mesmo estratagema com os meus próprios filhos enquanto termino de ler a peça de Stoppard.