Bubbly Scot
Registered User
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No excuses for the fact I robbed this from another forum I got to. I don't think it's been posted before
Brian Cowen was visiting a primary school. In one class they were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings.
The teacher asked Mr. Cowen if he would like to lead the discussion on the word `tragedy`.
So the illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a tragedy.
A little boy stood up and offered: `If my best friend, who lives on a
farm, is playing in the field & a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy`.
No, said Brian - that would be an accident`.
A little girl raised her hand: `If a school bus carrying fifty children
drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy`.
‘I`m afraid not,’ explained Brian, ‘that`s what we would call great
loss’.
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Brian searched the room. `Isn`t there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?`.
Finally, at the back of the room, little Johnny raised his hand.
In a quiet voice he said `If a plane carrying you and your Government was struck by a `friendly fire` missile & blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy`.
`Fantastic!` exclaimed Brian. `That`s right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?`.
`Well,` says little Johnny `it has to be a tragedy, because it
certainly wouldn`t be a great loss and it probably wouldn`t be an accident either`.
Brian Cowen was visiting a primary school. In one class they were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings.
The teacher asked Mr. Cowen if he would like to lead the discussion on the word `tragedy`.
So the illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a tragedy.
A little boy stood up and offered: `If my best friend, who lives on a
farm, is playing in the field & a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy`.
No, said Brian - that would be an accident`.
A little girl raised her hand: `If a school bus carrying fifty children
drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy`.
‘I`m afraid not,’ explained Brian, ‘that`s what we would call great
loss’.
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Brian searched the room. `Isn`t there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?`.
Finally, at the back of the room, little Johnny raised his hand.
In a quiet voice he said `If a plane carrying you and your Government was struck by a `friendly fire` missile & blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy`.
`Fantastic!` exclaimed Brian. `That`s right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?`.
`Well,` says little Johnny `it has to be a tragedy, because it
certainly wouldn`t be a great loss and it probably wouldn`t be an accident either`.