Tattle tales

It was hard day. I just needed a little rest and a little less confrontation. Maybe I was feeling a little experimental, too. Anyway, it was late in the afternoon, and I was laying down for a short rest, when one of the little girls came in and asked me for a cookie. Normally, I would either say, "Yes, you may have just one." or "No, it's too close to dinner time." But this time I said, "Sure, have as many as you want."
"Really?!" said my little one.
"Yes!" I replied. She ran to get her sister and told her what I had said. Then came back and asked if sister could have cookies, too.
"Yes, have as many as you want." They just stood there, shocked. Then they did a strange thing. They went to their older brother and told him what I had said. He advised them that they must be mistaken, and they should double check. So they came and asked me again. I gave them the same response. Then they did an even stranger thing. The 7 year old went in the kitchen, made herself a plate of left-over chicken and carrots and ate it. Then she had three cookies. The 5 year old didn't have anything. A few minutes later, Daddy came in. The 5 year old immediately told on me! --"Daddy, Mom said we could have all the cookies we want! That's not right, is it?"
Well, apart from being told on, I was proud of their moral responses. They felt that eating the cookies was wrong even with permission from their authority figure. So they didn't do it. Then they went to another authority figure for affirmation. (I guess it's OK to be told on.)
Cookies today, life decisions tomorrow...