THE OAK AND THE REED.
An oak which stood on the side of a brook was torn up by the roots in a storm, and as the wind took it down the stream, its boughs caught on some reeds which grew on the bank. “How strange it is,” said the oak, “that such a slight and frail thing as a reed should face the blast, while my proud front, which till now has stood like an Alp, is torn down, root and branch!” A reed, which caught the sound of these words, said, in soft tones, “If I may be free with you, I think the cause of it lies in your pride of heart. You are stiff and hard, and trust in your own strength, while we yield and bow to the rough blast.”
It is worse to break than to bend.