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Aesop's Fables · Chapter

The Oak and the Reeds explained

An Oak, proud of its strength, is uprooted by a storm and thrown into a river.

What happens

An Oak, proud of its strength, is uprooted by a storm and thrown into a river. It asks the Reeds how they survived despite their frailty. The Reeds explain that they survived by bending and yielding to the wind, while the Oak's stubborn resistance led to its downfall.

Themes in this chapter

  • Pride and Folly

    The Oak's pride in its strength leads to its downfall, while the Reeds' humility ensures their survival.

  • Wisdom and Foolishness

    The Reeds' wisdom in yielding contrasts with the Oak's foolish stubbornness.

Characters to notice

  • The Oak

    The Oak represents stubborn strength that refuses to yield, leading to its destruction.

  • The Reeds

    The Reeds symbolize flexibility and humility, surviving by bending with the storm.

Key passages

  • “You were stubborn, and fought against the storm, which proved stronger than you: but we bow and yield to every breeze, and thus the gale passed harmlessly over our heads.”

    Your stubbornness made you fight the storm, which was stronger, while we bent with the wind and survived unscathed.

    The Reeds explain the moral of flexibility versus rigidity.

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