The Locked Gate

A city closed its gates at sunset. Travelers arriving after dark had to wait until dawn.

One night, the gatekeeper fell ill. No one came to open the gates at dawn.

Travelers waited. Merchants waited. By noon, a crowd had formed, but the gates remained closed.

A city with a second gatekeeper — or a rule that any guard could open the gates after a certain hour — would not have had a crowd by noon.