One fall day, the North Wind blew the clouds quickly across the sky.
"Look how fast I can blow the clouds!
I am so strong!" he bragged.
"What nonsense!" said the Sun.
"I am much stronger than you!"
"No, you are not!"
"Yes, I am!"
They argued with one another.
The North Wind saw a traveler walking on the road.
He had an idea.
"Look! A traveler is coming this way.
Let me prove how strong I am!
I will force him to take off his coat," he said.
"Ha-ha! You cannot!" said the Sun.
"Just watch me!"
The North Wind blew and blew.
Dust and leaves flew everywhere.
"Ohh! What a sudden wind!" said the traveler.
"I need to button up my coat."
"Hmm! Okay, watch this!" said the North Wind.
Then he blew his hardest.
But the traveler did not take off his coat.
"Brr! What a terrible day!
I must pull up my collar," said the traveler.
He held his collar tightly around his neck.
The North Wind was out of breath and very tired.
"Ha-ha! Look at you!" said the Sun.
"Now, step aside. It is my turn."
So the Sun smiled and held out her arms toward the traveler.
"Hmm, this is very strange weather!" said the traveler.
"It's getting warmer now."
He unbuttoned his coat.
The Sun put on a bigger smile and climbed higher into the sky.
The traveler took off his coat.
"Whew! It is very hot now!"
"Oh no!" cried the North Wind.
"Ah, look! I made the traveler take off his coat," said the Sun.
"All right, you win," said the North Wind, and slid away.
The traveler took off his shoes and stopped to rest under a tree.
The happy Sun smiled even wider and kept him warm as he slept.
"Poor North Wind," said the Sun.
"It is better to be friendly to people than to force them."