shadowcaster
20th November 2009, 07:18 AM
GORDON BROWN was visiting a Scottish primary school and the class
was in the middle of a discussion related to words and their
meanings.
The teacher asked Mr. Brown if he would like to lead the discussion on the
word 'Tragedy'.
So our illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a
'Tragedy'.
A little boy stood up and offered, "If ma best freen, wha’ lives on
a ferm, is playin' in the field and a tractor rins ower him and
kills him, that wid be a tragedy."
"Incorrect", said Gordon, in his best
trying-not-to-sound-too-Scottish-accent, "That would be an
accident."
A little girl raised her hand, "If a school bus kerryin' fifty
children drove ow’r a cliff, killing a'body inside, that wid be a
tragedy"
'I'm afraid not', explained Gordon, "that's what we would refer to
as a great loss’’.
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Gordon 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 wee lad raised his hand and, in
a quiet voice, said: "If a plane kerryin' you and Mr. Darlin' wiz
struck by a 'freendly fire' missile & blawn tae smithereens, that
wid be a tragedy."
"Fantastic!" exclaimed Gordon, "and can you tell me why that would
be a tragedy?"
"Weel", says the lad, "it has tae be a tragedy, because it certainly
widnae be a great loss, and it probably widnae be a f*cking accident
either!"
was in the middle of a discussion related to words and their
meanings.
The teacher asked Mr. Brown if he would like to lead the discussion on the
word 'Tragedy'.
So our illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a
'Tragedy'.
A little boy stood up and offered, "If ma best freen, wha’ lives on
a ferm, is playin' in the field and a tractor rins ower him and
kills him, that wid be a tragedy."
"Incorrect", said Gordon, in his best
trying-not-to-sound-too-Scottish-accent, "That would be an
accident."
A little girl raised her hand, "If a school bus kerryin' fifty
children drove ow’r a cliff, killing a'body inside, that wid be a
tragedy"
'I'm afraid not', explained Gordon, "that's what we would refer to
as a great loss’’.
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Gordon 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 wee lad raised his hand and, in
a quiet voice, said: "If a plane kerryin' you and Mr. Darlin' wiz
struck by a 'freendly fire' missile & blawn tae smithereens, that
wid be a tragedy."
"Fantastic!" exclaimed Gordon, "and can you tell me why that would
be a tragedy?"
"Weel", says the lad, "it has tae be a tragedy, because it certainly
widnae be a great loss, and it probably widnae be a f*cking accident
either!"