The Oak and the Reeds – Aesop Fables for Kids

Deep in the forest, beside a gentle flowing river, stood a magnificent Oak tree. He was the tallest and thickest tree in the entire woods. His massive roots dug deep into the soil, and his thick branches reached up heavily into the sky.

The Oak was very proud of his strength. “Look at me!” he boasted to the forest animals. “I am unshakeable. Neither the wind nor the rain can move my mighty trunk!”

Down below the Oak, growing softly along the edge of the riverbank, was a patch of thin green Reeds. They were so delicate that even a passing butterfly could make them sway.

“You poor little Reeds,” the Oak mocked them, looking down his nose. “You are so weak and pathetic. The slightest breeze makes you bow your heads to the ground. You have no strength at all. You should be more like me—standing firm and proud!”

The little Reeds did not argue. “We are small,” whispered one of the Reeds gently, “but we are built exactly how we need to be. It is better to bow than to break.”

The Oak tree just laughed heartily, shaking his massive leaves.

A few days later, a terrible hurricane swept through the forest. The wind howled furiously, tearing leaves from branches and lifting dust into the air.

The proud Oak tree refused to move. He tightened his deep roots and puffed out his thick chest against the wind. “I am the mighty Oak!” he roared over the storm. “I will not bend for anyone!”

But the hurricane was too strong. With a deafening CRACK!, the wind snapped the Oak’s massive trunk right in the middle, and upended his heavy roots from the ground. The gigantic tree crashed heavily into the dirt, entirely defeated.

Meanwhile, down by the riverbank, the storm battered the thin little Reeds. When the fierce winds blew, the Reeds simply bowed their heads all the way down to the muddy water, letting the wind rush harmlessly over their backs. They bent back and forth, completely flexible.

When the terrible storm finally passed and the sun came out, the little Reeds stood right back up, unharmed and completely whole. They looked sadly over at the broken, proud Oak tree lying in the mud. He had been too stubborn to bend, and so he had broken.

Moral of the Story: It is better to be flexible in difficult times than to be stubborn and proud.