The North Wind and the Sun
北風與太陽
The North Wind blows with all its might but cannot move a traveler's cloak, while the Sun's gentle warmth makes him take it off on his own.
The story
High above the road, the North Wind and the Sun were arguing about which of them was the stronger. The Wind puffed out its cheeks and boasted, "When I blow, branches bend and lakes wrinkle. Surely I am the mightiest of all!" The Sun only smiled and let its golden light rest quietly on the hills and fields, in no hurry to answer.
Just then a traveler came along the road below, wrapped in a thick brown cloak, a cloth bundle over his shoulder. He was hurrying to cross the mountain and reach the next village before dark. The moment the North Wind spotted him, its eyes lit up. "Let us have a contest," it said to the Sun. "Whoever makes that traveler take off his cloak first shall be the stronger one."
The Sun nodded and quietly slipped behind a cloud to let the Wind go first. The North Wind puffed itself up with pride, drew a deep breath, and got ready to show its power.
With a great rushing roar, the Wind swept down through the valley. Its cold gusts combed through the traveler's cloak and hair like invisible fingers, stirring up dust and dry leaves, and startling a rabbit in the roadside grass so badly that it dove straight into its burrow. The traveler shivered, pulled his cloak collar tight, bent low, and pressed on step by step against the wind.
Seeing that the traveler had not given in, the Wind blew even harder, gust after gust, until it even knocked the hat clean off a roadside scarecrow. But the harder the Wind blew, the tighter the traveler wrapped his cloak, gripping the collar with both hands and inching forward without letting go. At last, after blowing for so long that it could hardly catch its breath, the Wind gave up. It sagged, pale and worn, its windy wisps drooping, and drifted off to one corner of the sky.
Only then did the Sun slowly come out from behind the clouds. It made no grand announcement — it simply let its light grow warmer and softer, little by little. The mist on the road lifted first, then the traveler's cold, reddened fingers began to warm, and his shoulders loosened. He undid the top button of his cloak, walked on a little further, felt his forehead grow warm, and finally took the cloak off altogether, draping it over his arm with a relaxed smile.
The North Wind watched from behind the clouds and said nothing. The Sun did not laugh at it either — it simply kept shining warmly over the land, over the traveler, and over the rabbit peeking out to sun itself and the sparrow fluttering past the fence. The traveler walked on whistling, light on his feet, heading toward the village. And the argument in the sky finally had its answer: sometimes gentleness can do what force never could.
Story takeaway
Gentleness and patience are often stronger than force; real change comes from warmth, not pressure.
Talk together
If you want someone to help you or listen to you, which usually works better — being gentle or being forceful?
For grown-ups
Parent note
A good story to share when talking with your child about getting others to cooperate. The harder the North Wind blew, the tighter the traveler held on; the Sun simply shone warmly, and the traveler chose to take his cloak off himself. Talk together about how orders, threats, or shouting often make people dig in and resist, while patience and warmth tend to open doors instead. It's a gentle reminder for the next time your child clashes with a friend or sibling over getting their way.
Words to learn
- roar: a loud, rushing sound, like wind blowing hard. e.g. The North Wind swept down with a great rushing roar.
- contest: a competition to see who is better or stronger at something. e.g. The Wind proposed a contest with the Sun.
- give in: to stop resisting and let something happen. e.g. The traveler wrapped his cloak tighter and refused to give in.
Reading activity
Play a little game of "which works better" — say a few lines and see if your child can tell which are gentle approaches and which are forceful ones: "Give me that toy right now, or else!" → forceful; it usually makes people want to resist. "Could I play with that for a little while? I'll give it right back." → gentle; people are more willing to say yes. "No playing outside until your homework is done!" → forceful. "Once homework is done, we'll have more time to go to the park together." → gentle; it encourages with something good. At the end, wonder together: in the story, which one is the North Wind, and which one is the Sun?
Source information
Aesop · Project Gutenberg public-domain fables
Public-domain fables and short tales from Project Gutenberg.
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