Have you seen the children?

Why is it that whenever I pass a sign that very specifically states "Happy children at play" I never see any happy children about?  

Where are they? I mean, the abundance of happy children was obviously important enough at one time to warrant a sign, so what happened to them since its posting? Are the happy children missing? Did they grow up and move away? Am I the only one concerned about these children?

I drive past one of those signs at least once a week when I take my daughter to her friend's house and I've never seen even one child anywhere near that sign.

Wait, wait. I take that back. There was one time we passed a boy, about nine years old,  running through the grass with a large pair of scissors in his hand. HE looked happy. Deliriously happy, in fact. Until he saw us watching him, whereupon he stopped dead in his tracks and glared menacingly at us until we were out of sight.  

That was rather frightening.

You know, thinking about it, maybe that particular sign should be changed to "Unbalanced children with sharp objects". It would be more accurate at least.

And still I'm left to wonder what became of the other children. The happy ones at play.  

Have you seen the children??