once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining (相邻的) farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious conflict in 40 years of farming side by side. It began with a small misunderstanding and grew into a major difference, and finally exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.
One morning, there was knock on the elder brother’s door. A carpenter was looking for a few days’ work. “Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there that I could help with.” Said the carpenter.
“Yes,” said the elder brother. “I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my younger brother’s! Last week there was a meadow (草地) between us, but he took his bulldozer (推土机) and dug a small river between us. Well, he may have done this to trouble me, but I’ll do him one better. I want you to build me a fence – an 8-foot fence – between us, so I won’t need to see his place or his face anymore.”
The carpenter said, “I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and shovel and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”
Then the elder brother went to town for supplies and the carpenter worked hard all that day. At about sunset when the elder brother returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.
The elder brother’s eyes opened wide. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge – a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! And his younger brother was coming toward them, his hands outstretched.
“You are quite the guy to make me speak to my brother again.” The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, shaking each other’s hands.
The carpenter then left, adding that he would have many more bridges to build.

很久以前，一对住在相邻农场的兄弟发生了冲突。这是他们并肩务农40年来第一次严重的冲突，由小的误解变成大的分歧，最终在几个星期的沉默后爆发了激烈争吵。
一天清晨，有人敲哥哥家的门，是一位想找几天活干的木匠。木匠说：“也许我能帮你干点什么。”“是的，”哥哥回答说，“我这儿是有活，看到小溪对面的农场了吗？那是我弟弟的。上个星期我们中间还是一块草地，但是他用挖土机挖成了一条小河。想来他这样做是要找我麻烦，我要做得更厉害。我要你在我们中间建一条围栏——一条8英尺高的围栏。从此我再也不用看到他的农场或者他的脸了！”
木匠说：“我明白了。给我准备钉子和铲子，我包你满意。”
随后的一整天，哥哥进城买材料，木匠则在努力地干活。日落时分，哥哥回来的时候，木匠刚好完工。
哥哥睁大了眼！根本就没有围栏，而是一座桥——一座从小溪这头伸到另一头的桥。他的弟弟正张开手臂朝他们走来！
“你这家伙真行，能让我们兄弟俩重新和好！”兄弟俩站在桥的两侧，走向桥中央相遇了，握住了对方的手！
木匠离开了，他还有更多的桥去建！