Tragedy. (May Or May Not Be Apocryphal.)

Nicola STURGEON 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 Mrs. STURGEON if she would like to lead the discussion on the word 'Tragedy'.

 

So the illustrious SNP 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 Nicola, in her best trying-not-to-sound-too-patron ising-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 Nicola, "that's what we would refer to as a great loss.’’

 

The room went silent.

 

No other children volunteered.

 

Nicola 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 your deputy wiz struck by a 'freendly fire' missile and blawn tae smithereens, that wid be a tragedy."

"Fantastic!" exclaimed Nicola, "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 an accident either!"