The short story by Margaret Mahy (originally published in The Door in the Air and Other Stories , 1988) is a surreal allegory exploring the conflict between functional reality and the transformative power of the imagination. Heavily inspired by Mahy’s own father, who was a bridge-building construction worker, the story follows a father who builds "ordinary" functional bridges until his family is grown and he is free to pursue his imaginative dreams.
Mahy’s estate actively protects her work. Most free PDFs online are: the bridge builder by margaret mahy pdf upd