eye of the beholder

Benjamin brought home this drawing today:

I said, "Oh, this is a guy standing in the middle of a bunch of trees, isn't it?"

Benjamin replied, "No it's not!"

"What is it?"

"It's a cyclops!" he said pointing to the one-eyed fellow in the center.

"Well, yes, but what are these?" I asked pointing to what I thought were trees.

"Those are trees."

"So it is a guy standing in the middle of a bunch of trees!"

"No it's not!"

"These things to his immediate sides, though. Those aren't trees. Are they Polyphemus's sheep?"

"No!" he insisted. "Those are the things he's holding!"

Were we going to repeat the pattern? "And," I asked patiently, "are the things he's holding sheep?"

"No, they're juice bottles!"