The Sun and the North Wind

The Sun and the North Wind were talking to each other in the sky. The North Wind was saying that he was better than everyone else. The Sun listened as the North Wind talked with enthusiasm about how powerful he was and how he could push something from one continent to another with one breath. He said, “I am the strongest thing in the sky.”

“Really?” asked the Sun. “How do you know that you are more powerful than the stars, or the rain, or even me?”

The North Wind laughed with disrespect. He yelled, “You? That’s a joke!”

This hurt the Sun. He was usually timid and did not want to cause conflict. Today he decided that he should teach the North Wind a lesson.

In the meantime, a man began walking along the avenue down on Earth. When the Sun looked down on the terrain below, he saw the man. He pointed down to the Earth and said, “Do you see that man walking below? I bet I can get his jacket off of him. Can you?”

“Of course!” the North Wind replied as he took a deep breath and filled his lungs with air. He used all of his muscles in his face and belly to blow winds at his target in succession.

The harsh air currents made the man cold. The man pulled his jacket more tightly around him. It did not come off. The Sun decided to rescue the man from the mischief of the North Wind. He said, “May I try?” Then he sent down sunlight that made the man warm. The man leaned against a tree. He took off his jacket and enjoyed the nice weather.

“You are very powerful,” the Sun said to the North Wind, “but you use violence in your bid to appear strong. You should think of an alternative. The strongest people don’t use force to get what they want.”

Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.

1. _____ The North Wind thought that he was stronger than everyone else.
   • _____________________________________________________
2. _____ The North Wind blew the jacket off of the man.
   • _____________________________________________________
3. _____ The North Wind treated the Sun with disrespect.
   • _____________________________________________________
4. _____ The Sun was the target for the North Wind.
   • _____________________________________________________
5. _____ The Sun was timid and did not teach the North Wind a lesson.
   • _____________________________________________________
6. _____ The North Wind used violence in his bid to be powerful.
   • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

1. Why was the North Wind so full of enthusiasm?
   • a. He thought he was all-powerful.
   • b. He was very rich.
   • c. He was the people’s favorite.
   • d. He was going on a date.
2. Why did the North Wind fill his lungs with air?
   • a. To avoid conflict
   • b. To find an alternative to violence
   • c. To help his muscles
   • d. To blow air at his target
3. How was the North Wind causing mischief?
   • a. By hurting the Sun
   • b. By leaning on a tree
   • c. By blowing harsh wind at the man
   • d. By walking along the terrain
4. What happened in the meantime while the Sun and the North Wind were talking?
   • a. The man started to laugh.
   • b. The man felt the cold air currents.
   • c. The man took off his jacket.
   • d. The man began walking along the avenue.