A man named Dave just moved into a new house in the countryside. He loved everything about it—except for one thing. His neighbor, Old Man Jenkins, was notorious for being grumpy and impossible to get along with.
Wanting to start off on the right foot, Dave decided to be neighborly. He walked over and said, "Howdy, Mr. Jenkins! I’m Dave, your new neighbor. I was thinking we could be friends."
Old Man Jenkins just grumbled and said, "I don’t need no friends. Just don’t bother me and don’t cross my fence."
Dave looked at the fence. It was rickety, leaning in all sorts of directions, and had more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. He couldn’t help but say, "That fence is looking a little worse for wear. Want me to fix it up?"
Jenkins snapped, "NO! That fence has been there for 50 years. It does its job just fine!"
Dave shrugged and went about his life. But every time he saw the fence, it bugged him. It barely stood up straight. It swayed when the wind blew. It looked like a fence in theory, but in practice, it was more of a suggestion than a boundary.
Then, one stormy night, the inevitable happened. The fence collapsed completely. The next morning, Dave walked out and saw the whole thing lying flat on the ground. He figured, "Well, now I have to help!"
So he went to work, spending the entire day building a sturdy, brand-new wooden fence—perfectly level, evenly spaced, and strong enough to withstand a hurricane. He stood back, admiring his handiwork.
Just then, Old Man Jenkins stomped over, fuming. "WHAT in tarnation have you done?!"
Dave, confused, said, "I built you a new fence! The old one fell over, so I figured I’d help."
Jenkins growled, "Boy, do you even KNOW what that fence was for?!"
Dave scratched his head. "Uh… to keep things separated?"
Jenkins shook his head. "No, you fool. That old fence was the only thing keeping my COW in! Now she's gone!"
Dave’s jaw dropped. "Oh no! Where do you think she went?"
Jenkins sighed. "Probably the same place my wife went 20 years ago when the fence broke back then."
Dave blinked. "Wait… your fence has fallen before?!"
Jenkins nodded. "Yep. Every time that fence falls, someone or something leaves. My wife. My dog. My prize-winning rooster. And now my cow. That’s why I left it alone! It was a warning!"
Dave laughed nervously. "Well, I’m sure we can find your cow. It couldn’t have gone too far."
Just then, a moving truck pulled up to Dave’s house. His wife hopped out and shouted, "Dave! I don’t know what it is, but something about this place doesn’t feel right. I think we should move."
Dave turned back to Jenkins, wide-eyed. "What… what have I done?"
Jenkins just smirked. "Told ya. Some fences are there for a reason."