The North Wind and the Sun were fighting one day after school. The North Wind was trying to bait the Sun into an argument over who was stronger.
The North Wind and the Sun argued a lot back then, during their high school years. After all, the Sun was VERY popular in high school, and this made the North Wind jealous.
Namely, because everyone liked the sun. The sun was friendly, quick with a joke, smiled often, and probably didn’t even need school since he already had a million degrees. Whereas the North Wind spent a lot of time listening to weird music, arguing on social media, and watching C-SPAN.
Finally, one day things came to a head. They started quarreling so fiercely they came to blows. And, trust me, the North Wind could really blow.
The North Wind took the Sun into a chokehold. “Everyone knows I’m stronger than you,” shouted the North Wind.
“Let me go!” cried the Sun. “You’re hurting me!”
“Admit it!” said the North Wind. “Admit I’m stronger than you!”
The Sun could not break loose from the North Wind because the North Wind was indeed very strong. After all, everyone knows that 90 percent of the earth’s freshwater is contained in ice, if the North Wind ever decided to quit chilling the world, the ice would melt and global sea levels would rise by 60 meters. That’s pretty strong.
Then again, the Sun is strong too. Without the sun, we would not have tanlines, the Beach Boys, or—if you’re getting technical—ecological life.
It was about that time, the school principal saw the Sun and the North Wind fighting. The North Wind had the Sun in a headlock. A crowd of students gathered, shouting and jeering.
“Break it up!” shouted the principal, as he pushed them apart.
The Sun had a busted lip. The North Wind had a third-degree sunburn.
The principal devised a test to settle, once and for all, which of them was stronger.
As they were talking, a traveler passed along the road, wrapped in a coat. The principal had an idea. He pointed to the traveler.
“Let us agree,” said the principal, “that he who is stronger can strip that traveler of his jacket.”
The Sun and the North Wind both agreed. They shook hands and got down to business.
The North Wind tried first. He followed the traveler closely, creeping behind him. The North Wind blew and BLEW, making the wind as cold as he could. With each subzero gust, the jacket would whip around the traveler’s body. But the harder the North Wind blew, the tighter the traveler clutched his coat.
Then it was the Sun’s turn.
The Sun rose high into the sky and began to shine gentle warmth upon the traveler. After the bitter cold, the traveler was happy in the pleasant heat. The traveler was even smiling in the kind comfort the sun provided.
But soon, the traveler began to overheat from all the cheerful sunlight. After a while, the traveler was mopping his brow with his sleeve, removing his cap, and taking off his backpack. Then, finally, he removed his coat.
“Yay!” everyone cried. “The Sun wins!”
If you are still searching for a moral to this Sunny story, just give it time.
It will dawn on you.