Friendship
Four friends were walking down the road, an American, an Englishman, a Frenchman and a German. The American was very arrogant, and an embarrassment to many of his countrymen. He saw an old woman by the side of the road. He said, “That woman is ugly. Her ugliness greatly offends me, so I am going over there and beat her up.” The Englishman said, “I agree. I will help you beat her.” The Frenchman and the German said “Indeed she is ugly, but you should not beat her.” This made the American very angry and he sent the two away.
As the beaten woman lay crying, the American said, “She should thank me, because after my beating, she is no longer so ugly.” The Frenchman and the German returned and pleaded to be allowed to help the poor woman. But the American rebuffed them saying, “You would not beat her so you may not help her.”
Who were the true friends and why has the American’s arrogance so blinded him that he betrayed these friends?
May, 2003