Not so long ago, in a place where the wind loved to play, stood a very grand Oak tree. He was so tall, his branches reached for the sky like strong arms. "Look at me!" he would boom to the little Reed growing nearby. "I am mighty! The wind can huff and puff, but I never bend!"

The Reed was slim and lived right by the water's edge. Whenever the wind whispered, the Reed would dance and sway, bowing low. "You poor thing," the Oak would chuckle. "Always bowing and scraping. Why don't you stand tall like me?"

The Reed would just rustle its leaves gently. "It's alright, Mr. Oak," it would say softly. "Sometimes, bending is better than breaking."

The Oak just laughed a big, booming laugh that shook his leaves. "Nonsense! Strength is everything!"

One day, a truly enormous storm blew in. Not just a playful breeze, oh no! This was a wild, roaring wind! The sky turned dark grey, and the rain lashed down.

The Oak stood firm. "I will not give in!" he groaned, his trunk creaking. He fought the wind with all his might. But the wind was too strong. With a loud CRACK and a mighty THUD, the proud Oak tree came crashing down.

And what about the little Reed? When the fierce wind blew, the Reed bent over, almost flat against the ground. It let the storm pass right over it.

When the sun finally peeked out, and the wind was just a gentle sigh, the little Reed slowly stood up again. It was a bit wet, but perfectly fine. It looked sadly at where the great Oak used to be.

The Reed knew then that sometimes, being able to bend is much stronger than trying to stand stiff and tall against everything.

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