The kids and I have a lot of fun doing evil laughs. The classic “Mwa-hah-hah-hah” is our favorite, done in as deep a voice as possible. The variant “Bwa-hah-hah-hah” is also possible. Occasionally, when we’re feeling silly, you might even hear the “evil cow laugh”: “Mooowa-hah-hah-hah.” That one’s my personal favorite.

Evil laughs work for a couple reasons. First, of course, they’re fun to do. Also, there are few things cuter than a little guy trying to do an evil laugh. They tilt their heads forward, and pull their eye brows down like they’re evil geniuses.

The big reason, though, is that it’s an early warning system.

I first discovered this last year, when a friend of mine and I were walking with the kids across Baldwin Park. The kids were playing tag as we walked, orbiting around us like deranged satellites. I kept an eye on them as we walked, but they were pretty much in their own world.

When I heard the evil laugh from behind me, I glanced back. My oldest, who was six at the time, was sneaking up on us.

I quickly looked back to the front.

The evil laugh sounded again, much closer, and the tag was delivered, a solid thunk to my friend’s back. He staggered forward, then joined in the game.

See what I mean? Giving a kid an evil laugh is like tying a bell on a cat.