Once upon a time there were four people who had very unusual names. I’d like to introduce the people to you.
This is ‘Everybody”
Here is ‘Somebody’.
This is ‘Anybody’.
And last, I’d like you to meet ‘Nobody’.
At the time our story begins, Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody all lived together in the same house. They all got along well together and each did their share of the work. But one day there was a very important job to be done, and then the trouble started.
Everybody said ‘Somebody will do it’.
Now Anybody could have done it, but in the end Nobody did it.
Somebody became very angry and said ‘It’s Everybody’s job!’
But Everybody said ‘Anybody should have done it!’
Nobody knew that Everybody wouldn’t do it.
In the end, Everybody blamed Somebody because Anybody could have done the very important job, but Nobody did it.
Category Archives: Responsibility
Somebody Everybody Anybody & Nobody
There was a most important job that needed to be done,
And no reason NOT to do it, there was absolutely none.
But in vital matters such as this, the thing you have to ask
Is WHO exactly will it be who’ll carry OUT the task.
Anybody could have told you that Everybody knew
That this was something SOMEBODY would surely have to do.
Nobody was unwilling. Anybody had the ability.
But NOBODY believed that it was his responsibility.
It seemed to be a job that ANYBODY could have done.
If Anybody thought he was supposed to be the one.
But since Everybody recognized that Anybody could
Everybody took for granted that SOMEBODY would.
But Nobody told Anybody that we are aware of,
That he would be in charge of seeing it was taken care of.
And Nobody took it on himself to follow through,
And DO what Everybody thought that Somebody would do.
When what Everybody needed so did not get done at all,
Everybody was complaining that Somebody dropped the ball.
Anybody then could see it was an awful crying shame,
And Everybody looked around for SOMEBODY to blame.
Somebody should have done the job
And Everybody should have,
But in the end Nobody did
What Anybody could have.
Found on a number of websites and attributed to Charles Osgood
A Story About Four People
This is a story about four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it.
Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did.
Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job.
Everybody knew that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Somebody wouldn’t do it.
And it ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody because Nobody did what Anybody could have done.