The Wind and the Sun - Fable Summary

Characters

• The Wind
  • Claims to be powerful by its ability to:
    • Blow trees to the ground
    • Push ships across the ocean
    • Create hurricanes and tornadoes
• The Sun
  • Claims to be powerful by its ability to:
    • Melt snow on mountains
    • Dry up lakes
    • Heat surfaces enough to cook an egg

Plot Summary

• Disagreement

  • The Wind and the Sun argue about who is more powerful.

• The Challenge

  • They decide to have a contest to see who can remove a man's winter jacket first.

• The Wind's Attempt

  • Blows cold wind, causing the man to zip up his jacket.
  • Creates rain and turns it into snow.
  • Uses a strong gust of wind but fails to remove the jacket.

• The Sun's Attempt

  • Shines enough to stop the snow.
  • Gently increases the temperature, causing the man to unzip and ultimately remove his jacket.
  • The man lies down to nap in the warm sun.

Outcome

• The Sun wins the contest.

Moral

• Warmth and gentleness can achieve more than strength and force.

Key Points

• The Wind uses brute force but is unsuccessful.
• The Sun uses warmth and gentleness, leading to success.
• The fable illustrates the power of a gentle approach over brute force.