Gandhi
and the
Professor
When Gandhi was studying law at the University College of London, a white professor, Peters by name, disliked him intensely and continually displayed prejudice and animosity towards him.
One day Mr. Peters was having lunch at the university dining room and Gandhi came along with his tray and sat next to him. "Mr. Gandhi," he said, "you don't 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, "Do not worry professor. I'll fly away," and went and sat at another table.
Mr. Peters, reddened with rage, decided to take revenge on the next test paper, but Gandhi responded brilliantly to all questions. Unhappy and frustrated, 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.”
Peters, smiling sarcastically, said, "I, in your place, would have taken the wisdom, don't you think?”
Gandhi shrugged indifferently and responded, "Each one takes what he doesn't have."
By this time Peters was beside himself. So great was his anger that he wrote on Gandhi's exam sheet the word "Idiot" and gave it to him. Gandhi took the exam sheet and sat down at his desk trying very 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 signed the sheet, but you did not give me a grade."
