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David Cameron 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 our illustrious prime minister asked the class for an example of a ‘tragedy’.
One little boy stood up and offered: ‘If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the paddock and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy?
'No,' said Cameron, 'that would be an accident.'
A little girl raised her hand: ‘If a school bus carrying 50 children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy.’
'I'm afraid not,' explained Cameron 'That's what we would call great loss.'
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Cameron 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 the plane carrying you and Mrs. Cameron was struck by a ‘friendly fire’ missile and blown to smithereens that would be a tragedy.’
'Fantastic!' exclaimed Cameron. '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 a f*c*ing accident either.
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 our illustrious prime minister asked the class for an example of a ‘tragedy’.
One little boy stood up and offered: ‘If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the paddock and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy?
'No,' said Cameron, 'that would be an accident.'
A little girl raised her hand: ‘If a school bus carrying 50 children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy.’
'I'm afraid not,' explained Cameron 'That's what we would call great loss.'
The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Cameron 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 the plane carrying you and Mrs. Cameron was struck by a ‘friendly fire’ missile and blown to smithereens that would be a tragedy.’
'Fantastic!' exclaimed Cameron. '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 a f*c*ing accident either.
