The Gorilla, the Ladder and the Bananas.

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There was a zoo that owned an unusually gluttonous gorilla. The zoo could only afford to give the gorilla a single bunch of bananas a day so the zookeepers put the bananas on a pole and set up a ladder leading to the bananas. To keep the gorilla from downing the bananas in one gulp, the zookeepers would turn an ice-cold power hose on the gorilla whenever it approached the ladder. Later, the zoo was able to get another gorilla, but no change was made in the banana rationing. Every time the second gorilla would approach the ladder, the hose would be turned on both gorillas for fear that a fight would break out. Then a third gorilla came in. Still, there was no addition to the bananas. Whenever the third gorilla approached the ladder, the zoo authorities would turn the hose on all three gorillas. Then a fourth gorilla came in. The banana count remained the same. This time, something strange happened: whenever the fourth gorilla approached the ladder, the other gorillas would beat it up for fear of the hose being turned on them. A fifth gorilla came in. No change was made in the banana count. Every time a gorilla headed for the ladder, the others would gang up on it. A sixth gorilla was brought in. Still, the banana rationing remained the same. Each time a gorilla approached the ladder, the others would beat it up. Eventually the first three gorillas died and the zoo acquired new ones. Every time a gorilla approached the ladder, it would be beaten up by the others. All the gorillas beginning with the fourth would beat any gorilla who approached the ladder and none of them ever knew why.