一棵巨大的橡树矗立在一条小河旁，小河里生长着一些纤细的芦苇。当风吹过，高大的橡树笔直地站立，千百条臂膀伸向天空。而芦苇却深深地弯腰，唱着悲凄的歌谣。
“你有理由抱怨，”橡树说。“轻拂水面的微风使你低头，而我，强大的橡树，在暴风骤雨中依然坚固挺拔。”
“不要为我们担忧，”芦苇回答道。“风伤不到我们。我们对风弯腰，所以我们不会折断。你，同着你所有的自豪和力量，迄今为止承受住了击打。不过末日就要来临。”
芦苇说话间，一场巨大的龙卷风从北方袭来。橡树骄傲地站立着对抗风暴，而柔软的芦苇则深深地弯下腰。风变本加厉，突然之间大树被连根拔起，躺倒在唏嘘的芦苇中间。
在反抗无效时宁可让步，好过顽固地抵抗而被毁灭。（好汉不吃眼前亏。）
THE OAK AND THE REEDSA Giant Oak stood near a brook in which grew some slender Reeds. When the wind blew, the great Oak stood proudly upright with its hundred arms uplifted to the sky. But the Reeds bowed low in the wind and sang a sad and mournful song.
"You have reason to complain," said the Oak. "The slightest breeze that ruffles the surface of the water makes you bow your heads, while I, the mighty Oak, stand upright and firm before the howling tempest."
"Do not worry about us," replied the Reeds. "The winds do not harm us. We bow before them and so we do not break. You, in all your pride and strength, have so far resisted their blows. But the end is coming."
As the Reeds spoke a great hurricane rushed out of the north. The Oak stood proudly and fought against the storm, while the yielding Reeds bowed low. The wind redoubled in fury, and all at once the great tree fell, torn up by the roots, and lay among the pitying Reeds.
Better to yield when it is folly to resist, than to resist stubbornly and be destroyed.
