A School Inspector from the Department of Education paid a supprise visit to a local primary school
The Sixth Class were in the middle of a discussion relating to words and their meanings.
The teacher asked the inspector if he would like to lead the discussion on the word ‘tragedy’, so the Inspector asked the class for an example of a ‘tragedy’.
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 Inspector – that’s what we would call a ‘great loss‘
A little boy stood up and offered the following example: ‘If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him, then that would be a ‘tragedy.’
‘No’, said the Inspector, ‘that would be an accident‘.
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. The Inspector 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 a group of top Irish banking executives fly over Iraq and were struck by a ‘friendly fire’ missile & blown to smithereens, then that would be a ‘tragedy’
‘Fantastic!’ exclaimed the Inspector ‘That’s right, and can you tell me why that would be a 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!’
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