ON the bank of a river grew a tall Oak Tree.
It stood with its roots firm in the
ground,
and its head high in the air, and said to itself:
"How strong I am!
Nothing shall make
me bow. I look down upon all the other trees."
But one day there was a storm. The
terri-
ble unseen wind came and struck
the proud
Oak. Crash! went the trunk, down came
all
the beautiful branches, and the Tree fell
into
the river. As the water
carried it away, it
passed by a Reed that
grew on the bank.
The little Reed stood up tall and slender,
and
looked at the poor broken Tree.
"O Reed," said the Tree, "how did it happen
that you were not broken down and
spoiled
when the wind came? You are
so little and
weak, and I was so strong and proud."
"Ah! poor Tree," said
the Reed, "that is
just the reason that the wind did not hurt me.
I bent low until it had gone by, but you stood
stiff, and tried to stop it on its way. No
one
can stop the wind. It must go where it is
sent,
but it will not hurt those who are not proud
and stubborn."
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