Tuesday, February 28, 2006

We the living----Kira

Kira Argounova went to school in Yalta. The school dining room had many tables. at luncheon, girls sat at these tables in couples, in fours, in dozens. Kira always sat at a table in a corner-alone.
One day her class declared a boycott against a little freckled girl who had incurred the displeasure of her most popular calssmate, a loud-voiced young lady who had a smile, a handshake and a command ready for everyone.
That noon, at luncheon, the little table in the corner of the dining room was occupied by two students: Kira and the freckled girl. They were half through their bowls of buck wheat mush, when the indignant class leader approached them.

"Do you know what you're doing, Argounova?" she asked, eyes blazing.
"Eating mush," answered Kira. "Won't you sit down?"
"Do you know what this girl here has done?"
"I haven't the slightest idea."
"You haven't? Then why are you doing this for her?"
"You're mistaken. I am not doing this for her, I am doing it against twenty- eight other girls."
"So you think its smart to go against the majority?"
"I think that when in doubt about the truth of an issue,its safer and in better taste to select the least numerous of the adveraries....May I have the salt please?"