Chapter 27 bridge builder

A bridge was built over the Achi River, which ran through the city of Antioch to the sea, to facilitate communication between the two parts of the city. The bridge was built of great stones which had been brought from the mountains on the backs of mules from Antioch. When the stone bridge was completed, a line of words was carved in Greek and Aramaic on a stone pillar: "This bridge was built by King Antioch II". All the common people walk to the other side of the beautiful Aqi River through this beautiful stone bridge. One night, a young man who was considered a bit silly climbed down to the place where the inscription was carved on the stone pillar, wiped off the inscription with charcoal, and wrote on it: "The stone on this bridge is Mules brought it from the mountains. When you go up and down the bridge, you are riding on the backs of the builders, the mules of Antioch."

When the common people read the words written by the young man, some laughed, and some were surprised.Some said, "Ah, see, we know who did it. Isn't he kind of stupid?" But one mule laughed and said to the other mule, "Can you Remember that we did carry these stones, but until today it is said that the stone bridge was built by King Antioch." Builders Of Bridges In Antioch where the river Assi goes to meet the sea, a bridge was built to bring one half of the city nearer to the other half. It was built of large stones carried down from among the hills, on the backs of the mules of Antioch .

When the bridge was finished, upon a pillar thereof was engraved in Greek and in Aramaic, "This bridge was built by King Antiochus II." And all the people walked across the good bridge over the nice river Assi. And upon an evening, a youth, deemed by some a little mad, descended to the pillar where the words were engraven, and he covered over the graving with charcoal, and above it wrote, "The stones of this bridge were brought down from the hills by the mules. In passing to and fro over it you are riding upon the backs of the mules of Antioch, builders of this bridge."

And when the people read what the youth had written, some of them laughed and some marvelled. And some said, "Ah yes, we know who has done this. Is he not a little mad?" But one mule said, laughing, to another mule, "Do you not remember that we did carry those stones? And yet until now it has been said that the bridge was built by King Antiochus."