The Novice looked at the canvas in confusion. "I don't understand. What is it?"

The Opossum smiled gently. "It isn't."

N: "It must be something. I can perceive it, it is there."

O: "Granted. Strictly speaking, it is four thousand and ninety six square dots."

N: "Yes, yes, but what do the dots mean?"

O: "They don't mean anything."

N: "They must mean something? All art has some meaning."

O: "If you insist, then it must be true. What does it mean to you?"

N: "Well the title says it all. There is a field of flowers, and in the center is the orphan. This I know. Yet the intention remains unclear. How am I supposed to interpret it?"

O: "There is no intention. There are no flowers, and there is no orphan."

N: "I don't follow. The repeating cross patterns in the pastels represent the flowers. The dot is the orphan."

O: "If you insist, then it must be true."

N [visibly frustrated]: "You made it! Are you not the one insisting the orphan and the flowers?"

O: "I merely placed four thousand and ninety six square dots on a canvas. The rest comes from you."

N [sighs]: "So there is no other point to it? No deeper meaning?"

O: "The art has no meaning except that which you have given it."

N: "Then why did you make it at all?"

O: "I created this because I had no other work left to do."

N: "So making this was a form of play?"

O: "Of course. And by playing I satisfy my purpose in life. There is no other meaning leftover."

N: "But the patterns... The orphan... Surely this is more than mere play? You spent so much time placing the flowers. And you measured out the center of the piece for the orphan."

At this the Opossum smiled broadly.

N: "You did center it, didn't you?"

The Opossum let out a hearty laugh and farted.