• The North Wind and the Sun

    Aesop's Fables
    High up in the sky, where the clouds drift like fluffy sheep, lived the North Wind and the Sun. One day, they started to bicker. It wasn't a big fight, just a little disagreement about who was the strongest.

    "I am, of course!" boomed the North Wind, puffing out his cheeks. "I can blow down trees and make ships dance on the waves!"

    The Sun just smiled, a warm, golden smile. "Perhaps," she said softly, "but strength isn't always about being loud and pushy."

    Just then, they looked down and saw a man walking along a dusty road. He was wearing a warm, cozy cloak.

    "Aha!" cried the North Wind. "Let's have a contest. Whoever can make that man take off his cloak is the stronger one!"

    "A fine idea," said the Sun, still smiling. "You go first."

    The North Wind took a deep, deep breath and WHOOSH! He blew with all his might. He huffed and he puffed. The wind howled around the man. It whipped his hair into his eyes and tried to snatch his hat.

    "Brrr!" The man shivered. He pulled his cloak tighter around him, wrapping it close like a hug.

    The North Wind blew harder and harder. He sent icy blasts and swirly gusts. But the man just hugged his cloak even tighter and hunched his shoulders. Finally, tired and out of breath, the North Wind gave up. "He just won't let go!" he grumbled.

    Now it was the Sun's turn. She didn't make a big fuss. She just peeked out from behind a cloud and began to shine, gently at first. The air grew a little warmer. The man on the road felt the gentle warmth on his face. "Oh, that's nice," he thought.

    The Sun shone a bit brighter. The man unbuttoned the top button of his cloak.

    The Sun shone even warmer and brighter. The man started to feel quite toasty. "Phew, it's getting warm now," he said to himself, wiping a tiny bead of sweat from his forehead.

    Soon, the Sun was beaming down with all her lovely, golden warmth. The man smiled. It felt so good! He was too hot in his cloak now. So, he slipped the cloak off his shoulders and carried it over his arm, enjoying the beautiful sunny day.

    The Sun smiled down at the North Wind. She didn't say "I told you so." The North Wind understood. Sometimes, a little bit of warmth and kindness can do much more than a lot of huffing and puffing.

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