The north wind and the sun

“The north wind and the sun” is a classic fable that shows how kindness and warmth can often achieve what force and strength cannot. In this timeless tale, the North Wind and the Sun compete to see who can make a traveler remove his coat. The wind blows fiercely, but the gentle sun wins with warmth.

First told by Aesop around 600 BCE, this fable has been used for centuries to teach the value of gentleness. In this article, you’ll find two versions of the story: the original and a simplified graded reader, great for young English learners. With fun questions to boost vocabulary and comprehension, this tale helps children learn while enjoying a valuable lesson.

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Let’s leap into the story and see how the sun’s warmth wins the day!

The story of “The north wind and the sun”

Once upon a time, the North Wind and the Sun were having a disagreement about who was stronger. The North Wind boasted about his strength, saying, “I am the most powerful! I can blow with such force that I can knock over trees and send storms across the land.”

The Sun, calm and quiet, simply smiled and said, “True strength doesn’t always come from force.

I believe that gentleness is often more powerful than aggression.”

The North Wind scoffed at this.

“Let’s settle this once and for all,” he said.

Just then, they saw a traveler walking along the road below, wearing a heavy cloak. The North Wind came up with a challenge. “Whoever can make the traveler remove his cloak will be declared the strongest.”

The Sun agreed, and the North Wind went first.

The North Wind gathered all his strength and blew with all his might. He sent powerful gusts of cold wind down to the traveler, howling through the trees and across the hills. The traveler, feeling the cold wind, shivered and pulled his cloak tighter around him. The harder the North Wind blew, the more the traveler held onto his cloak, refusing to let it go.

No matter how strong the North Wind became, he couldn’t make the traveler take off his cloak.

In fact, the more forceful he was, the more the traveler resisted.

Now it was the Sun’s turn.

He smiled warmly and began to shine down on the traveler. His rays were gentle, soft, and comforting. As the warmth spread, the traveler began to feel comfortable. The sun didn’t force anything; instead, the traveler started to loosen his grip on the cloak. Before long, the traveler grew too warm under the sunlight, and he willingly took off his cloak to cool down.

The Sun had won the challenge.

By being gentle and warm, he had succeeded where the North Wind’s forceful blasts had failed.

The moral of “The north wind and the sun”

Gentleness and kindness can achieve what force and aggression cannot.
The Sun’s gentle warmth proved to be more powerful than the North Wind’s fierce gusts. This story teaches us that being kind and gentle often works better than being forceful or harsh. People respond more positively to warmth and persuasion than they do to pressure and aggression.

Questions about “The north wind and the sun”

1. What did the North Wind and the Sun argue about?
2. How did the North Wind try to make the traveler remove his cloak?
3. Why didn’t the North Wind succeed in getting the traveler to remove his cloak?
4. How did the Sun get the traveler to take off his cloak?
5. What lesson does the story of The North Wind and the Sun teach us?

Answers

1. The North Wind and the Sun argued about which one of them was stronger.
2. The North Wind tried to blow the traveler’s cloak off with strong, cold winds.
3. The harder the North Wind blew, the more the traveler held onto his cloak, refusing to take it off.
4. The Sun shone gently and warmly on the traveler, who eventually took off his cloak because he was too warm.
5. The story teaches us that kindness and gentleness can be more effective than force and aggression.

Words to learn

• North Wind: A cold, strong wind that blows from the north. In the story, the North Wind tries to blow the traveler’s cloak off with force.
• Sun: The star that gives us light and warmth. The Sun uses gentle heat to persuade the traveler to remove his cloak.
• Traveler: A person who is on a journey. The traveler in this story is walking along a road wearing a cloak.
• Cloak: A loose, warm outer garment, like a coat. The traveler wears a cloak to keep warm.
• Gentle: Soft, kind, or mild. The Sun’s gentle warmth made the traveler remove his cloak.

What type of story is “The north wind and the sun”?

The North Wind and the Sun is a fable, a short story that teaches a moral lesson, often using nature or animals as characters.

Who wrote “The north wind and the sun”?

The North Wind and the Sun is a fable by Aesop, an ancient Greek storyteller. Learn more about Aesop here.

When was “The north wind and the sun” written?

The North Wind and the Sun was written more than 2,500 years ago, as part of Aesop’s Fables.

Who are the main characters in “The north wind and the sun”?

The main characters are the North Wind, the Sun, and the traveler.

What lesson can we learn from “The north wind and the sun”?

We learn that gentleness and kindness can often achieve more than force and aggression. The story shows us the power of persuasion and how people respond better to warmth than to pressure.

”The north wind and the sun” story for young English learners (ages 2-5, Pre-A1 graded reader)

One day, the North Wind and the Sun were talking. They both thought they were the strongest.

“I am the strongest,” said the North Wind. “I can blow very hard!”

“I am the strongest,” said the Sun. “I give warmth and light.”

They decided to have a contest.

They saw a man walking down the road, wearing a coat.

“Whoever can make the man take off his coat is the strongest,” they said.

The North Wind went first.

He blew as hard as he could.

The wind was so strong!

But the harder the North Wind blew, the tighter the man held onto his coat.

Then, it was the Sun’s turn.

The Sun shone gently at first.

The man felt warm, so he opened his coat.

The Sun shone a little brighter, and the man felt hotter. Finally, the man took off his coat.

The Sun had won the contest.

The North Wind stopped blowing and said, “You are the strongest, Sun.”

Fun fact!

Did you know? The story of The North Wind and the Sun is sometimes used as an example in discussions about negotiation and diplomacy, showing that calm reasoning is more effective than force or threats!