Foreword:
This fable represents little sacrifices that can avert great loss, and also commonly titled as 'Witless Goats on the Bridge'. This fable is wrongly attributed to Aesop, although there is no ancient source to substantiate such claim. Hence, it is not catalogued in the Perry Index. However, it remains a very popular fable and has been in circulation for a long time.
ADVERTISEMENTS
Once, there was a narrow bridge over a wide, fast river.
The bridge had grown fragile, and barely wide for only one person to walk over it, at a time. But, it was the only way to cross over the river.
One fine morning, a goat approached the bridge to cross over.
At the same time, another goat approached the same bridge, on the other end of the bridge, with the intention of crossing over the river, too.
Both the goats saw each other approaching the bridge on the other end, and instead of making way for the other, each of them stubbornly started walking on the bridge.
Each of the goats expected the other, to make way!
Both the goats, with their un-yielding attitude, continued to walk over the bridge from both sides.
Even as the bridge started to tremble with the combined weight of the goats, they remained nonchalant and oblivious, and faced each other in the middle of the bridge.
Without compromising, they attempted to adjust and realign their bodies to manoeuvre across each other.
After some time, both of them realized that the bridge was too narrow for either of them to pass beside the other. Any such attempt will only endanger themselves to the risk of falling down and into the river.
They stood there, in the middle of the bridge, facing each other.
"I can't get by, with your standing there!", said one of them, "Go back to your end of the bridge, and wait till I finish crossing over."
The other goat, being as obstinate, replied, "No! You are the one who must go back to allow me to cross over."
Both of them argued that they were first to approach the bridge to start crossing, and therefore, the other should go back.
And, both the goats got furious, when the other affirmed that they won't move.
Soon, one thing led to another, and they locked horns and started fighting in the middle of the bridge.
ADVERTISEMENTS
Unmindful of the trembling bridge under their feet, and madly furious, they fought each other like their lives depended on the outcome.
And as they fought, the fragile bridge started shaking, and became unstable.
One of them started slipping over the unstable bridge, dragged the other, and together they fell down into the river. They grasped for air, trying to stay afloat in the river.
All this commotion caught the attention of some fishermen who rescued them from the water and pulled them into their boat.
Through this near-death experience, both the goats realized that while they argued and fought in vain, they lost sight of what was right.
Moral:
Sometimes, giving way is better than stubbornness.
Or,
It is better to yield than to come to misfortune through stubbornness.
Summary:
A goat started walking on a narrow bridge, over a river. At the same time, another goat started walking on the same narrow bridge, from the other side. Despite observing the other goat on the opposite side, neither of the goats were willing to wait. They met halfway down the bridge. Since, there was space for only one of them to proceed, both demanded the other goat to retreat for him to proceed. But neither of them would budge down. Soon, they started fighting. Engrossed in their fight, they both fell from the bridge, down to the river.
