Consider this hypothetical situation: You are aware that someone you know has stolen another student's notebook. The student has been punished by...

There are three students involved in this hypothetical situation. There is a thief, a victim, and a witness to the crime of the stolen notebook. Since the assignment makes the witness solve the problem using Kipling's "If," he (the witness) could start out by telling the victim to remember that if he meets "with Triumph and Disaster" equally, then he will not be as upset and can find a solution to the problem. Life will deal everyone disappointing blows every now and again. It is up to each one to find a way to solve the problem rather than throwing in the towel at the first moment of frustration. Also, the victim can recall the part of the poem that says, "If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you," he can make sure not to give the thief power over his emotions for being robbed (Line 27). Therefore, the witness can tell the victim not to let this experience get him down, but to take control of the situation by talking to the teacher about the misfortune and asking for an extension on the assignment.

As for the thief, the witness could ask him to do the right thing by returning the notebook. Lines from Kipling's poem to use that might persuade the thief could be the following:

"If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating," (Lines 3-7).

The witness could ask the thief what the real reason is behind stealing another person's notebook. Sometimes, people lie because someone lied about them; or people hate because someone first hated them. If that is the case with the thief, he has a chance to make things right by returning the book and not doing that again. True men don't lie, steal, cheat, "make a trap for fools," or hurt other people. By stealing the notebook, the thief hurt someone else, but he can find a way to make things right. And, if the thief needs help with his own notebook, the witness can offer to help him in the future.