Goats on the Bridge

A bubbling stream gurgled through a green pasture where many goats came to graze.

Over the stream, an old narrow wooden bridge allowed the goats to cross over from one side of the pasture to another.

For some reason, the goats felt that the grass was greener on the other side.

One day all kinds of goats were grazing on either side of the stream.

There were old goats and young goats,

Thin goats and fat goats,

Black goats and white goats,

Funny goats and mad goats,

Clever goats and dull goats,

Goats who understood and goats who misunderstood,

Grumpy goats, and goats without a bit of grump in them.  

Now, it so happened that two goats – one from each side, decided to cross the stream. They came face to face in the very middle of the bridge.

“I want to go first. You move backwards” said one goat.

“No, I want to go first. You move backwards” said the other goat.

They started fighting with each other.

While fighting, they lost their balance, and plunged into the stream.

Ploink! Ploink!

After some time, two other goats – one from each side, decided to cross the stream. They came face to face in the very middle of the bridge.

“I want to go first. You move backwards” said the first goat.

The second goat thought for a moment and then said,

“Alright, I will sit down. You jump over me.”

So the second goat sat down and the first goat jumped over her to cross the bridge.

Then the second goat got up and happily went the other way. 

Art: Irene D'Cruz, 75, India

(Fable retold with a twist)