Two Goats
Two stubborn goats fought on a fragile bridge, causing its collapse and their tragic demise.
Once upon a time, in a quiet valley, there was a small bridge over a fast-flowing river. The bridge was old and weak, but it was the only way to cross the river for many miles. It was just wide enough for one person to walk across.
One morning, two goats came to the bridge from opposite sides. One goat came from the north, and the other from the south. Both wanted to cross to the green fields on the other side.
When they met in the middle, neither goat wanted to back up to let the other pass. They stood still, staring at each other, both too stubborn to move.
After a moment, they started to fight, pushing each other with their horns. The more they pushed, the more the bridge wobbled. The fight was fierce, and both were determined to win.
But the old bridge couldn’t handle their fight. With a loud crack, the wooden planks broke, and both goats fell into the river below.
The river was fast and strong. The goats, still fighting, were carried away by the current and couldn’t swim to safety. In the end, they both drowned, their stubbornness causing their sad fate. The green fields across the river stayed untouched that day.
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Once upon a time, in a quiet valley, there was a small bridge over a fast-flowing river.
The bridge was old and weak, but it was the only way to cross the river for many miles.
It was just wide enough for one person to walk across.
One morning, two goats came to the bridge from opposite sides.
One goat came from the north, and the other from the south.
Both wanted to cross to the green fields on the other side.
When they met in the middle, neither goat wanted to back up to let the other pass.
They stood still, staring at each other, both too stubborn to move.
After a moment, they started to fight, pushing each other with their horns.
The more they pushed, the more the bridge wobbled.
The fight was fierce, and both were determined to win.
But the old bridge couldn’t handle their fight.
With a loud crack, the wooden planks broke, and both goats fell into the river below.
The river was fast and strong.
The goats, still fighting, were carried away by the current and couldn’t swim to safety.
In the end, they both drowned, their stubbornness causing their sad fate.
The green fields across the river stayed untouched that day.
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Word Finder
Valley:
A low area between mountains or hills.Fast-flowing:
Moving very quickly, like a strong river.Opposite:
Being on completely different or facing sides.Stubborn:
Refusing to change or let someone else win.Wobbled:
Shook or moved side-to-side, not steady.Fierce:
Very strong, intense, or aggressive in actions.Determined:
Not giving up, wanting to reach a goal.Handle:
To deal with or support something difficult.Current:
The strong, moving water in a river or sea.Fate:
What happens, especially something that’s unavoidable.
Understanding Questions
- What did the two goats want to do when they reached the bridge?
- Why did neither goat want to back up on the bridge?
- What happened when the goats started to fight on the bridge?
- What caused the bridge to break?
- What happened to the goats after the bridge broke?
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think neither of the goats wanted to let the other pass on the bridge first?
- What do you think would have happened if one of the goats had decided to wait for the other to cross?
- Can you think of a time when you and a friend wanted the same thing but had to find a way to share or take turns?
- What does this story teach us about stubbornness and the importance of compromise?
- How can we apply the lesson from this story in our daily life, especially when we find ourselves in a situation where we can't both have what we want at the same time?
Fable Quotes
A little give can prevent a great loss.
Beware of pride; it blinds us to the beauty of compromise.
Wisdom is the ability to give way in order to make way.
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The Greedy Merchant
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