There were two goat villages in the woods. The goats from the upper village and those from the lower village disliked one another. One day, a goat from the upper village and that from the lower village came across each other on a single-log bridge.

A Single-log Bridge

The two goats were fighting to get by first. The goat from the lower village said, "Since I got here first, I should cross the bridge first."

Unyieldingly, the goat from the upper village replied, "Excuse me, but I got here first. I will cross the bridge first!" Both goats would not give in.

"Yo-ho! Yo-heave-ho!" They fought by butting¹ each other with their horns. "I will never give in." "Me neither!" Both goats had their way until the end. While fighting, their horns ended up being tangled² in the other's.

At that moment, the goat from the upper village missed his step. And so the other goat also slid down the cliff. The two goats were swept away by the rough, flowing water and drifted away with the current. "Bleat³! Help me!" The two goats fell off the bridge because they did not yield to the other.