The Ogre Under The Bridge.

Once there was a great Orge that lived under a bridge. He was an ugly Ogre who had a heart of gold. The town's people knew the Ogre to be very helpful when their wagons became stuck in the mud after a storm. The Ogre would come out from under the bridge and push them to dryer land. And the Ogre would divert water when it threatened to wash the town away in the great storms that came to the mountains where the village lay.

He was very ugly with a disfigured face full of warts and blemishes and often would scare a stranger at first who didn't know the Ogre.  But once they got to know him, his disfigurement wasn't noticeable because of his kind and gentle heart. People would often say once they knew the Ogre, "What a beautiful creature your town has. He helped me find my dog, or he fixed our cart and never asked for gold." The town's people were happy with their Ogre and repaired his clothes if torn or brought him hearty soups when it was cold.

One day developers came to the town for they heard stories of the game in their forested mountains and the good fishing in the streams. The mountain tops had plenty of snow to draw skiers and the town itself was pretty and quaint with flowers in window boxes and cobbled streets that wandered here and there in the village.

The developers told the elders of the town about the wealth everyone could obtain if they encouraged tourists to come. Inns and restaurants would be built to house the tourists and bring jobs to the town's folk making everyone very rich. But there was one stipulation. The town would have to get rid of the Ogre under the bridge for the developers were sure he would scare the tourists away.

The elders told the developers that he was a wonderful Ogre who helped many of the people in town and even saved their village from floods. But the developers insisted the Ogre would scare the children of the tourists because he was so ugly and no one would come to their village.

The elders pleaded with the developers to give the Ogre a chance and said, "Once you get to know him, he isn't ugly at all but quite handsome because of his gentle heart."

The developers were insistent that the Ogre must go. So the elders thought about what to do. If they lost their beloved Ogre who would save their village in a flood? And the developers always had an answer. "You will make so much money that flood channels would be built." The answers were always that there would be plenty of money to fix anything so the Ogre would no longer be needed.

The people in the town began to turn their hearts away from the Ogre. They thought more and more of the riches tourists would bring to them. They would live easy and plush lives in fancy new homes and grow fat on all the wealth they would make. The Ogre would have to go.

So one day the elders went to the bridge to talk to the Ogre. They told him they appreciated all he did for them, but the developers thought he was too ugly to draw tourists and he would have to leave. The village was going to change for the better, but only if he left.

The Ogre looked around at all the friends he had made, he looked at each and every one that he helped, and then cried. "I thought you were all my friends. But you're not after all are you. You want me to leave because you think I'm ugly. Well then, I will leave."

So the Ogre packed his few belongings and walked into the forest, to the deepest, darkest part where no human had ever been or ever would go. And there, deep in the woods near a small lake, stood a lonely cottage. As the Ogre approached he saw a beautiful wood nymph trying to attach a shutter to her house. She tried and tried but couldn't get the shutter to stay in place.

The Ogre crept close and afraid to scare her, he cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me, but can I help you? I am very good at fixing things."

The wood nymph turned and smiled, "Oh an Ogre, and a handsome Ogre at that. Yes, can you please help me? In return, I'll fix you a delicious supper.

In quick order the Ogre had the shutter repaired and attached in its rightful place. Then the two went inside the cozy cottage. A fire in the hearth waited for them and on the stove the most delicious smell of wild mushroom soup simmered in a pot.

"No one has ever invited me in their home before," the Ogre said.

"And why not? You are wonderful. I wouldn't known what to do if you didn't help me."

The Ogre smiled and blushed, "My name is Borg."

"Glad to meet you, Borg. My name is Titinia." She pointed to the best chair she had for him to sit by the fire and warm himself.

From then on, Titinia and Borg lived happily in their cottage by the lake deep in the forest. As time grew on, the forest creatures heard of the couple. If a deer had a wound or a bear a thorn, the two would give aid. Because of their kindness all the woodland kept watch to make sure the couple were safe and well hidden.

The village grew and prospered, just as the developers said. More and more people came, and the town grew to a city with many more people trying to get rich. The old town folk left their cozy homes and cobbled streets. They moved into new apartments with all the luxury they could know. But no one helped them without wanting money. No one visited anymore because everyone wanted to make more money. The cobbled streets were torn up and cement poured. The old bridge torn down, the babbling brook now a flood channel of solid rock so that the water rushed to the sea.

And as more people came and wanted more money, people's homes were robbed and everyone became afraid to leave after dark. They were afraid to talk to strangers lest they be robbed of their precious money. The city belched smog that killed the trees around it. The stream became polluted with trash and waste, an ugly scar that ran through an ugly city where no birds or wildlife dare to venture. And the city became known far and wide for how ugly it looked and how greedy the people that lived there were.

And as time passed, the city became more and more decrepit until no one came to spend money and the people that lived there turned on each other fighting for anything they could steal or rob from someone else. But in the forest, deep in the woods, a beautiful wood nymph and a handsome Ogre lived happily ever after.