Fantastic Fables, Ambrose Bierce: The Optimist and the Cynic

Updated May 14, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

The Optimist and the Cynic

A MAN who had experienced the favours of fortune and was an Optimist, met a man who had experienced an optimist and was a Cynic. So the Cynic turned out of the road to let the Optimist roll by in his gold carriage.

"My son," said the Optimist, stopping the gold carriage, "you look as if you had not a friend in the world."

"I don't know if I have or not," replied the Cynic, "for you have the world."