When Mahatma Gandhi was studying
law at the University College of London, a professor by the name of Peters
disliked him intensely and always displayed animosity towards him. And
because Gandhi never lowered his head when addressing him, as he expected, there
were always "arguments" and confrontations.
One day Mr Peters was having
lunch at the University dining room when Gandhi came along with his tray
and sat next to him. The professor said, "Mr Gandhi, you do not
understand. A pig and a bird do not sit together to eat. "Gandhi
looked at him as a parent would a rude child and calmly replied, "You do
not worry, professor. I'll fly away," and he went and sat at
another table.
Peters, red with rage, decided to
take revenge on the next test paper, but Gandhi responded brilliantly to all
questions.
Unhappy and frustrated, Mr Peters
asked him the following question: "Mr Gandhi, if you were walking
down the street and found a package, and within was a bag of wisdom and another
bag with a lot of money, which one would you take?"
Without hesitating, Gandhi
responded, "The one with the money, of course." Mr Peters,
smiling sarcastically, said, "I, in your place, would have taken the
wisdom." Gandhi shrugged indifferently and responded, "Each one
takes what he doesn't have."
Mr Peters, by this time, was fit
to be tied. So great was his anger that he wrote on Gandhi's exam sheet the
word "idiot" and handed it back to him.
Gandhi took the exam sheet
and sat down at his desk, trying hard to remain calm while he contemplated
his next move. A few minutes later, Gandhi got up, went to the professor
and said to him in a dignified but sarcastically polite tone, "Mr Peters,
you autographed the sheet, but you did not give me the grade."
-- Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins
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