The animals built a bridge long ago. Though the bridge was built for all animals, they picked the donkey family and elephant family to take care of it.
Both families were responsible for maintaining the bridge, but they often disagreed on how to do it. So, the animals voted periodically to give one family the power to make final decisions. Still, the animals expected both families to work together, no matter which was in charge. This arrangement, while not always easy, kept the bridge in good repair for many years.
One day, a huge log floated down the river and struck the center support pier. The pier was damaged, the bridge became shaky, and the animals worried it would collapse.
Being in charge, the elephants had to do something, but they didn’t know how to fix the bridge. So, they decided to limit how many animals could cross it. Too many animals crossing might make the bridge collapse. The elephants decided that only big animals, which could carry a lot, would be allowed to cross. The smaller animals complained that the elephants’ decision was unfair to little animals. Since it was safe for only a few animals to cross, the elephants said it made sense only to allow animals that could carry a lot. This was a smart and fair solution, they trumpeted. Besides, it was not the bigger animals’ fault that the smaller animals could carry so little.
Soon it was time for another vote. The smaller animals were understandably upset. They wanted the bridge fixed. The heavier animals wanted the bridge fixed, too, so long as they could keep crossing it while it was repaired.
The animals gathered to hear the ideas from both families about what to do, but neither knew how to fix the bridge. So, they just criticized each other instead. The donkeys pointed out that the elephants had only let bigger animals cross the bridge. The elephants trumpeted that the donkeys would make the bridge collapse completely if they let all the animals cross. The elephants claimed the donkeys couldn’t fix the bridge. The donkeys brayed that they could.
There were far more small animals and most voted for the donkeys. They believed the donkeys could fix the bridge quickly. So, they cheered for the donkeys when they won. The elephants’ feelings were hurt because the small animals voted against them and then cheered for donkeys.
Now, the donkeys were in charge, but they didn’t know how to fix the bridge, either. So, the donkeys worked on old ideas that they thought would have made the bridge better before it got damaged. The elephants said the donkeys’ ideas were dumb, but the donkeys had lots of energy. So, the donkeys ignored the grumpy elephants and worked on the bridge by themselves. They painted the bridge, put up safety barriers, and put lights up for better night visibility. The whole time, the sulking elephants complained that the donkeys were not listening to any of their ideas. Over and over, the elephants criticized the donkeys.
After a while, the animals realized that, even after the donkeys’ work, the bridge was still shaky. The elephants claimed that if the donkeys had listened to their ideas, the bridge would be closer to being fixed. Since it was still shaky, many of the animals thought the elephants had a point.
It wasn’t voting time yet, but the animals gathered to tell the donkeys that they should consider the elephants’ ideas along with their own. They thought the best way to fix the bridge was for the elephants and donkeys to work together.
The elephants were overjoyed. They believed the animals told the donkeys to listen to what the elephants said to do. The elephants were excited that they might be voted in charge next time. The donkeys tried telling the elephants that the animals were upset because they had not worked together to fix the bridge. That was nonsense to the elephants.
So, the elephants refused to work with the donkeys, even on their good ideas. If donkeys needed the elephants to help, the elephants refused. If the donkeys tried to fix the bridge by themselves, the elephants said the donkeys were wrong for not listening to them. Soon, the donkeys forget about trying to fix the bridge, too. Instead, they complained that the do-nothing elephants were holding things up. These arguments went on and on while neither family did anything to fix the bridge.
As the caretaker families argued, the animals tried to show them how upset they were getting. But they argued too much to notice. So, slowly, the animals themselves started fixing the bridge. The work went much slower since the donkeys and elephants didn’t stop arguing to help.
After a while, the donkeys realized that the bridge seemed sturdier. Proudly, they brayed to the animals working below that their leadership had made the bridge stronger. The elephants trumpeted that the bridge was still too weak and the bridge would be fixed more if elephants were in charge.
The time for the next vote neared. The animals working below were tired of the families arguing, but the elephants and donkeys still shouted at each other over and over.
When voting time came, most animals did not want to vote for either caretaker family. Most wished they could pick other families to take care of the bridge. But, for as long as anyone could remember, the elephants and donkeys had taken care of the bridge. Even though both caretaker families had forgotten what they had been picked to do, it seemed unthinkable to pick other animal families to take care of the bridge.
So, voting day came. Most animals voted for either the donkeys or elephants. Of course, one of the two families won. And, of course, the winner thought that getting the most votes meant that the animals were pleased with what their family had been doing since the last vote. And, of course, nothing changed.