Eleven boys were playing joyfully near a railway. They chased each other, raced down all the way with excitement and laughed with jubilation. Among them, a small little boy named Tommy was strangely quite. He seemed unbothered by his cheerful mates and his indifferent behavior finally disappointed them. They asked him with curiosity, “Tommy, why didn’t you play with us?”

“Because this is very improper,” he said, frowning slightly, “to play at a railway where the train may come at any moment.” Then he suggested that they played at another railway which was deserted long time ago so that they would not be life-threatened by the incoming train. “What a coward!” They fleered at him and quickly went back to continue their exciting games.

Tommy was dejected. He let out an audible sigh, sagged his shoulders in defeat, apparently not pleased with the idea that his mates disbelieved his words. Nevertheless, his minds told him that he would better move to the deserted railway to avoid any kinds of inconvenient accident. With a bitter smile lingered on his face, he slowly walked towards the deserted railway, alone.

A gentleman saw the whole thing and decided to persuade the other ten boys to move to a safer place. However, at this very moment, the train arrived. The safety of the children was starting to worry the gentleman and now he had a tough decision to make. He could either shift the rail so that the train went to the deserted railway and killed the little boy or he could just wait there watching the other ten boys being bumped by the train, losing their precious lives in no time. Either way, somebody has to die. He hesitated. Tommy, the little boy was definitely innocent. He had made the right choice of playing at a safe place. However, sacrificing him could save ten other lives. Anyone, the gentleman thought, anyone who understood mathematics would choose ten lives over one. So he extended out his arms, managing to shift the rail.

“Stop this,” Themis, the goddess of justice, blindfolded and holding a set of scales, demanded in enunciated words. “stop this stupid action of your, human-being.” The gentleman looked up at her in surprise. “Why? Ten lives are more precious than one, aren’t they?”

“No,” she corrected him, “not at all. Justice favors not the majority. It is actually the nature law of fairness which states that everybody deserves what he deserves. In this case, the little boy made his decision which saved himself from the god of death. He should thus keep his life. On the other hand, the ten boys ignored good suggestions and chose to act against rules. It was a grave mistake and therefore, they had to die.”  She concluded dryly.

Leaving no time for the gentleman to react, she allowed the train to pass over her, and, with a huge ‘bang’ sound, ten beautiful lives were taken, forever.