The story is title 'The Lost Dollar'.Why is this apt as opposed to 'The Borrowed Dollar'?
Answers
Because if the dollar would have been borrowed the person would have got it back but in this story it is not, it was lost forever.
Answer:
Stephen Leacock's story "My Lost Dollar" is told in the first person. The gist of it is that he makes numerous attempts to recover the $1 that he lent Todd, a friend, to pay for his taxi to Bermuda. It is intended to be humorous by exaggerating the value of one dollar and friendship. The author's attempts, which are all in vain, are humorously depicted. The author chose a story about two buddies who are discovered in a public place.
In the spirit of friendship and reciprocity, the author loans Todd one dollar. Todd does not forget about it after his trip to Bermuda. He anticipated Todd returning it as soon as possible. Todd, though, avoids it as if he were unaware of it. Stephen receives a letter from Todd after a few days. He made notice of Bermuda's temperature but not the value of the currency.
Stephen meets Todd at the train station when Todd returns to the town three weeks later. The author doesn't demand the money outright. Instead, he adds a note requesting that they each book a taxi to travel to Montreal. To remind Todd of the one dollar he spent on his taxi ride to Bermuda, Stephen remarked that. Todd objects and then offers that they go for a walk. He thereby missed the author's clue.
They discussed Bermuda throughout the night. While doing so, Stephen kept hoping Todd would remember the dollar he owed him. But he made no mention of it directly. Maybe it was the embarrassment of directly asking. It's possible that one shouldn't ask for money openly while one is friends, especially if it's only a dollar. It might be inappropriate to inquire directly.
Then he asks how much the Bermudan money is worth in relation to the US dollar. Todd should be able to recall that one dollar, he thought. Todd appeared to have entirely forgotten about that money. Todd typically states that Poland does not pay her debts during dinner.
Finally, Stephen returns Tedd's $1. He adds Tedd's name to the list of persons who owe him one dollar but have neglected to pay it. He also has the thought that possibly he has neglected to return money he has borrowed from others, just as Todd has failed to return one dollar. He cannot recall any names. He wants to launch an Honesty Movement in order to repay the odd dollars (small sums) he has previously borrowed. Honesty is crucial. The author ends with a humorous remark about not wanting Todd to see the copy of the book containing this story and read it.
Conclusion:
The lesson of this tale is to always pay back debts, no matter how minor or large. The lender might consider the sum to be significant. Furthermore, if the borrower completely forgets about the money borrowed, it causes the lender enormous anguish. Honest men are mindful of the assistance provided by friends.
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