In an attempt to get more children to speaker betta English like wot he does,
Mel is visiting an Primary school today and he visits one
of the Year 4 classes. They are in the middle of a discussion
related to words and their meanings.
The teacher asks Mel if he would like to lead the class in
the discussion of the word, "tragedy." So Mel asks the class
for an example of a "tragedy."
One little boy stands up and offers, "If my best friend, who lives
next door, is playing in the street and a car comes along and runs him
over, that would be a tragedy."
"No" says Mel, "that would be an accident."
A little girl raises her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50 children
drove off a cliff, killing everyone involved, that would be a
tragedy."
"I'm afraid not" explains Mel. "That's what we would call a
GREAT LOSS." The room goes silent. No other children volunteer.
Mel searches the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me
an example of a tragedy?"
Finally, way in the back of the room, a boy named Johnny raises his
hand. In a quiet voice he says, "If a plane, carrying you and
wife, was struck by a missile and blown up to smithereens,
that would be a tragedy.
"Correct" exclaims Mel, "that's right. And can you tell me
WHY that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," Lil' Johnny said, "because, like you just told us, it wouldn't
be an accident, and it sure as hell wouldn't be a great loss."
