Coop
14th August 2006, 05:57 AM
Prime Minister Blair was visiting a primary school and he visited one of
the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and
their meanings. The teacher asked the Prime Minister 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 and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that
would be a "tragedy." No," said Blair "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 the Prime Minister "that's what we would call
great loss." The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Blair
searched the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of
a tragedy?" Finally, at the back of the room, a small boy raised his
hand...In a quiet voice he said: "If the Air Force VIP flight carrying you
and Mrs Blair was struck by a "friendly fire" missile and blown to
smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
"Fantastic!" exclaimed Blair. "That's right and can you tell me why that
would be tragedy?" "Well," says the boy "it has to be a tragedy, because it
certainly wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident
either!"
the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and
their meanings. The teacher asked the Prime Minister 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 and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that
would be a "tragedy." No," said Blair "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 the Prime Minister "that's what we would call
great loss." The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Blair
searched the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of
a tragedy?" Finally, at the back of the room, a small boy raised his
hand...In a quiet voice he said: "If the Air Force VIP flight carrying you
and Mrs Blair was struck by a "friendly fire" missile and blown to
smithereens, that would be a tragedy."
"Fantastic!" exclaimed Blair. "That's right and can you tell me why that
would be tragedy?" "Well," says the boy "it has to be a tragedy, because it
certainly wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident
either!"