The Brute and the Billionaire
Hundreds of people had come to see a popular satire, but during
the performance a fire started in the theater. The audience and actors
evacuated the building. Luckily, no one was hurt, and the fire was soon
put out. Immediately, the audience assembled into an angry mob and
demanded to know what had happened.
It was soon revealed that the fire had started backstage, and only
two people were in the area at the time. One was the husband of the
play’s star actress, the billionaire Henry Rich. The other was the
theater’s janitor, Bill, a large and strong man who looked like a brute.
The crowd segregated the two men and demanded to know who
the culprit was. Most of the crowd thought that Bill was to blame. They
felt that he had started the fire without ever subjecting him to any
scrutiny. Bill resented this but said nothing.
Luckily, the billionaire’s wife testified in his defense. “Your decision
is premature,” she told the crowd. “ I fell down amid the tumult while
everyone fled the fire. Bill rescued me and carried me out of the
building. I thinkyou underestimate his character. Besides, in order to
be close enough to save me, he couldn’t have been near the place
where the fire began.”
The crowd then turned their eyes to the billionaire. “ He did it!” they
shouted. “Make him pay!”
“Wait,” the billionaire said over the uproar. “ I admit that I started the
fire, but it was an accident. I was going backstage to see my wife and
was clumsy. I collided with a lamp, and it fell to the floor. The floor was
flammable. A fire started, and I fled.”
The mob was surprised. The man they blamed was innocent, and
the billionaire was guilty. To pay for his error, the billionaire not only
repaired the theater but had it remade to be better than before.
The Brute and
the Billionaire
Hundreds of people had come
to see a popular satire, but during
the performance a fire started in
the theater. The audience and
actors evacuated the building.
Luckily, no one was hurt, and the
fire was soon put out. Immediately,
the audience assembled into an
angry mob and demanded to know
what had happened.
It was soon revealed that the
fire had started backstage, and
only two people were in the area
at the time. One was the husband
of the play’s star actress, the
billionaire Henry Rich. The other
was the theater’s janitor, Bill, a
large and strong man who looked
like a brute.
The crowd segregated the two
men and demanded to know who
the culprit was. Most of the crowd
thought that Bill was to blame.
They felt that he had started the
fire without ever subjecting him to
any scrutiny. Bill resented this but
said nothing.
Luckily, the billionaire’s wife
testified in his defense. “Your
decision is premature,” she told
the crowd. “ I fell down amid the
tumult while everyone fled the fire.
Bill rescued me and carried me
out of the building. I thinkyou
underestimate his character.
Besides, in order to be close
enough to save me, he couldn’t
have been near the place where
the fire began.”
The crowd then turned their
eyes to the billionaire. “ He did it!”
they shouted. “Make him pay!”
“Wait,” the billionaire said over
the uproar. “ I admit that I started
the fire, but it was an accident. I
was going backstage to see my
wife and was clumsy. I collided
with a lamp, and it fell to the floor.
The floor was flammable. A fire
started, and I fled.”
The mob was surprised. The
man they blamed was innocent,
and the billionaire was guilty. To
pay for his error, the billionaire not
only repaired the theater but had it
remade to be better than before.