THE DAMAGED BRIDGE
A Story With A Valuable Lesson.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a village where the bridge became partially damaged. The villagers often worry over the danger that someone may fall from the bridge into the river below and die.
One day, the villagers went to the king and told him about the problem,
"Your Majesty, our lives are in danger! Please, repair our damaged bridge so we can cross without fear of falling down. It's too risky for all of us."
However, the king seemed totally unconcerned about it and showed no emotion. He shrugged and said,
"Don't worry, there's no danger of that, but you may be careful when crossing the bridge. Don't be afraid!"
As days passed, however, the bridge's condition got even worse and it became a nightmare. The frightened villagers went back to the king and lamented,
"Our king, it is very obvious that one can fall from the bridge and die! We hope it doesn't get us in trouble... can you please fix it?"
The king brushed it aside as if it was of little importance. He looked away and said,
"I have lots of expenses, the bridge is not one of them. You all should probably watch your steps so you don't fall off the bridge. Just be more careful, there's nothing I can do about it!!"
The bridge got worse and worse every moment. At some point, the villagers became so afraid that they wouldn't dare cross it. Yet again, they went to the king and pleaded,
"Your Majesty, please do something about our damaged bridge! We don't want to lose anyone due to negligence."
Meanwhile, the king blatantly disregarded them and asked them not to worry about it. The villagers left feeling frustrated and disappointed.
One fateful day, someone fell off the bridge into the river and died on the spot. The tragic news spread quickly through the village. When the king heard it, he asked,
"Who fell off the bridge?"
One of his servants answered,
"Your Majesty, it's your son, the prince who fell off the bridge and died. He was returning home after a long travel, and didn't know that the bridge was damaged."
Upon hearing that, the king suddenly suffered a heart attack and collapsed. When he finally regained consciousness, the villagers asked,
"Your Majesty, will you repair our bridge now?"
The bereaved king wept bitterly and said,
"Tell the builders to come fix the bridge immediately!"
LESSON TO LEARN:
Ignoring problems can lead to serious consequences. When you see a problem that needs a solution, don't wait for something bad to happen before you take action. Learn to fix problems instantly as delays result in other problems that increase the total damage. When someone reports a problem to you, don't just disregard it because you think it doesn't affect you. In the end, you may realize you've been caught in the trap. Never pretend that problems aren't there or feel unconcerned or hope that they go away. Fix them immediately!
