little projections gradually broke away, so that climbing over or
even getting a foothold became very difficult. And in the same
passage of time, the rough spots on the new bridge wore down and the
crevices filled up, so that passage across became much easier.
"You see," said the new bridge to the new wall, "you've learned
something about being a wall."
"Well," the new wall replied, "I've known all along that I must
guard the pass and fortify the defenses of the country. And of
course I know it's my job to keep out all those who don't belong.
But I see you've finally discovered how to be a bridge."
"You can say what you like," answered the new bridge. "But I've
always understood that I provide a critical link in the path
around the mountains, and that my purpose is to help travelers
across the gorge."
As the years collected, as years do, the new bridge and the new wall
began to think less and less about what they had once been and more
and more about the task they currently had to do, until eventually
it became impossible for anyone to tell that the new wall had once
been a bridge or that the new bridge had once been a wall.
"How indiscriminate and common you are," the new wall would often
tell the new bridge.
"And how inflexible and repressive you are," the new bridge
would reply.
The Wish
While walking along the beach one day, a man spotted an old,
barnacle-covered object which on closer examination he discovered to
be an ancient bronze oil lamp. "Hah! Aladdin's lamp," he thought,
jokingly. "I'll rub it." To his surprise, when he did rub it, a
genie appeared.
"Okay, Bud," said the genie, in a remarkably bored tone. "You have
one wish--anything you want. What is it?"
"Money," the man said instantly, his eyes widening. "Yes! Endless
money. Riches! Wealth! Ha! Ha! Huge, massive, obscene wealth!"
"I thought so," said the genie in the same bored tone.
"No, wait," the man said, his eyes suddenly narrowing. "Power. Yeah,
that's it. Complete and total power over everyone and everything
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