David Beckham is visiting a school. In one class, he asks the students if anyone can give him an example of a 'tragedy'. One little boy stands up and offers "that if my best friend who lives next door was playing in the street and a car came along and killed him that would be a tragedy." "No", Beckham says "that would be an accident." A girl raises her hand. "If a school bus carrying fifty children drove off a cliff, killing everyone involved..... that would be a tragedy."
"I'm afraid not." explains Beckham. "That is what we would call a great loss."
The room is silent, none of the children volunteer. "What?" asks Beckham. "Isn't there any one here who can give me an example of a tragedy?" Finally a boy in the back raises his hand. In a timid voice, he says "If an aeroplane carrying David Beckham was blown up by a bomb, that would be a tragedy." "Wonderful," Beckham beams. "Marvellous, and can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"
"Well," says the boy "because it wouldn't be an accident and it certainly wouldn't be a great loss."