A Weird Story..
This is just a typed reproduction of a story someone told me. The location, time, etc seems immaterial. Also, the absence of things we would normally use like telephones, hanging out, etc .. has been assumed. Read on and then read what you have to do later..
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Annie, Paul and Peter have been friends for a long time and know each other pretty well.
One day, out of the blue, Paul declares his love to Annie. But she rejects his proposal, saying that she is in love with Peter.
In the true spirit of being a wuss, Paul accepts her decision and leaves, after reminding her that he would always be there for her as a friend.
It so happens that Annie's father is unable to repay the loans he had taken from a wicked money-lender. The crook makes him a proposition that he would write off all the debts, in return for Annie's hand in marriage.
When Annie learns of this, she runs away from home and sets off for Peter's place, in the dead of the night, empty handed. She comes to a river (which is quite wide, deep, and full of crocodiles and piranhas). There's a lone boatman who ferries people across for a fee. Since she cannot pay for the boat ride, the boatman offers to take her across in exchange for EVERY piece of her clothing.
She spots a hermit nearby and narrates the entire story thus far to him and asks for his advice. The hermit simply tells her to do what she thinks is fit.
She goes back to the boatman and hands him her clothes and he promptly (ok, probably slowly) takes her across the river (i hope there were no mosquitoes in the place this story's set). She reaches Peter's home which fortunately is just on the other bank, and tells Peter everything that's happened and confesses her love to him.
Peter doesnt respond to her confession, but they have a great three days and nights together (whatever that implies). Then he tells her that he cannot marry her as he was leaving for work abroad and that his career always came first.
Heart-broken, Annie goes to Paul and once again narrates the entire sequence of events. At the end she asks him if he would accept her now. To which, Paul says "it was true that I really loved you, but I will not accept someone who was rejected by someone else".
End of story.
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Now, you have to rate the main characters - Annie, Paul, Peter, the boatman and the hermit on ethics on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the most ethical and 5 being the most unethical.
My ratings are as follows:
Paul - 1 : He didn't do anything which was unethical. He only has a sense of self respect. You can at the most charge him with not being a true friend to Annie.
Boatman - 2 : Again, he isn't supposed to ferry everyone for free. He'd have his constraints. You could say he's a cad or unchivalrous, but I wouldn't say he was unethical.
Hermit - 3 : He did not do the very job people entrusted to him - giving advice.
Annie - 4 : Because she was being opportunistic and was expecting to take Paul for granted. (A lot of girls do take advantage of their proclaimed admirers.)
Peter - 5 : Need I justify? Enjoyed for 3 days and left (in search of greener pastures?) ...
I am taking the liberty of mentioning some of the trends in the ratings given by my friends/colleagues. Peter was given a 5 by the overwhelming majority, while Paul was given a 1 by most. But, quite a few were of the view that he did not turn out to be a true friend. Most were almost indifferent towards the hermit and the boatman.
But, opinion's divided when it comes to Annie. We, the guys, did not think she deserved a 5, simply because she was the one taken advantage of (by Peter, and by, as some think, the boatman). But women tend to rate her as the most unethical. In fact, a lady friend mentioned some points one of which is ridiculous [if you are reading this, dear, sorry! but its not about you, its only about this particular point..], that it was not right on her part to: strip before the boatman (ok.. but what other option did she have?), spend the 3 days with Peter (hey, it wasn't her fault that he turned out to be a creep), and run away from her parents (as against marrying the evil money-lender? how can you even attempt to justify this, except possibly centuries ago??)
You don't have to post your ratings as a comment here, but are welcome to discuss this offline.
###############
Annie, Paul and Peter have been friends for a long time and know each other pretty well.
One day, out of the blue, Paul declares his love to Annie. But she rejects his proposal, saying that she is in love with Peter.
In the true spirit of being a wuss, Paul accepts her decision and leaves, after reminding her that he would always be there for her as a friend.
It so happens that Annie's father is unable to repay the loans he had taken from a wicked money-lender. The crook makes him a proposition that he would write off all the debts, in return for Annie's hand in marriage.
When Annie learns of this, she runs away from home and sets off for Peter's place, in the dead of the night, empty handed. She comes to a river (which is quite wide, deep, and full of crocodiles and piranhas). There's a lone boatman who ferries people across for a fee. Since she cannot pay for the boat ride, the boatman offers to take her across in exchange for EVERY piece of her clothing.
She spots a hermit nearby and narrates the entire story thus far to him and asks for his advice. The hermit simply tells her to do what she thinks is fit.
She goes back to the boatman and hands him her clothes and he promptly (ok, probably slowly) takes her across the river (i hope there were no mosquitoes in the place this story's set). She reaches Peter's home which fortunately is just on the other bank, and tells Peter everything that's happened and confesses her love to him.
Peter doesnt respond to her confession, but they have a great three days and nights together (whatever that implies). Then he tells her that he cannot marry her as he was leaving for work abroad and that his career always came first.
Heart-broken, Annie goes to Paul and once again narrates the entire sequence of events. At the end she asks him if he would accept her now. To which, Paul says "it was true that I really loved you, but I will not accept someone who was rejected by someone else".
End of story.
##############
Now, you have to rate the main characters - Annie, Paul, Peter, the boatman and the hermit on ethics on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the most ethical and 5 being the most unethical.
My ratings are as follows:
Paul - 1 : He didn't do anything which was unethical. He only has a sense of self respect. You can at the most charge him with not being a true friend to Annie.
Boatman - 2 : Again, he isn't supposed to ferry everyone for free. He'd have his constraints. You could say he's a cad or unchivalrous, but I wouldn't say he was unethical.
Hermit - 3 : He did not do the very job people entrusted to him - giving advice.
Annie - 4 : Because she was being opportunistic and was expecting to take Paul for granted. (A lot of girls do take advantage of their proclaimed admirers.)
Peter - 5 : Need I justify? Enjoyed for 3 days and left (in search of greener pastures?) ...
I am taking the liberty of mentioning some of the trends in the ratings given by my friends/colleagues. Peter was given a 5 by the overwhelming majority, while Paul was given a 1 by most. But, quite a few were of the view that he did not turn out to be a true friend. Most were almost indifferent towards the hermit and the boatman.
But, opinion's divided when it comes to Annie. We, the guys, did not think she deserved a 5, simply because she was the one taken advantage of (by Peter, and by, as some think, the boatman). But women tend to rate her as the most unethical. In fact, a lady friend mentioned some points one of which is ridiculous [if you are reading this, dear, sorry! but its not about you, its only about this particular point..], that it was not right on her part to: strip before the boatman (ok.. but what other option did she have?), spend the 3 days with Peter (hey, it wasn't her fault that he turned out to be a creep), and run away from her parents (as against marrying the evil money-lender? how can you even attempt to justify this, except possibly centuries ago??)
You don't have to post your ratings as a comment here, but are welcome to discuss this offline.
posted by The ManU man at 1:39 PM
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3 comments
