Passing through the arches under London Bridge Station the other day, I noticed a beggar sitting by the wall with his upturned hat on the ground in front of him and a cardboard notice which read:
HUNGRY
and
HOMELESS
PLEASE HELP
and
HOMELESS
PLEASE HELP
Maybe it was being currently broke that moved me to want to help ("There but for the grace of God, go I SOON!") but, for whatever reason, I felt driven to extend the hand of charity.
Noticing a stall selling a range of mouth-watering, nose-teasing, home-made pies, I decided that rather than throw money in his hat that might end up being spent on booze or drugs, I'd offer to buy him something to eat.
"Would you like a pie?" I asked.
Then came the totally unexpected response...
"No, thanks," he replied, "I've just eaten."
Oh, well, maybe he was already aquainted with Mrs Lovett's pies...
[Image: 'Simple Simon' from Mother Goose illustrated by W W Denslow]
1 comment:
Makes you wonder doesn't it? "Beggars" in Brussels have been known to be collected by friends/relatives at the end of their day's "work" in Mercedes...
I even know someone who actually bought a sandwich for a beggar one day, only to be insulted for his pains!
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