Tragedy or Loss or Accident

Laloo Prasad is visiting a primary school and he visits one of the classes. They are in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings.

The teacher asks Laloo if he would like to lead the discussion of the word "tragedy." So the unillustrious leader asks the class for an example of a "tragedy."

One little boy stands up and offers: "If my best friend, who lives on a farm is playing in the field and a runaway tractor comes along and knocks him dead, that would be a tragedy.

"No," says Laloo," that would be an accident."

A little girl raises 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," explains the leader. "That's what we would call a great loss."

The room goes silent. No other children volunteer.

Laloo searches 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 raises his hand. In a quiet voice he says: "If a plane carrying Laloo were struck by a missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."

"Fantastic!" exclaims Laloo, "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?"

"Well," says the boy, "because it sure as hell wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either."