The wind and the sun began to argue which of them could make the traveller take off his coat.

The wind boasted, "I'll shake that man out of his coat." And he began to blow. But the man only pulled his coat tighter round him. The wind blew harder and harder. The man ran behind a bush to take shelter from the wind. The wind bent the branches of the bush against the ground, but the man pulled his coat tighter and tighter around him, held fast on to it and didn't even dream of taking it off.

The sun then said, "You'd better stop now showing off your might, let me have a try at him."

The wind lulled and the sun began to shine. The man got up from behind the bush and went on. It was warm. The man unbuttoned his coat. The sun shone even hotter, the man took off his coat, tied it up into a bundle with his belt, threw it across his shoulder and went on along the road.

The sun told the wind, "Act first, then boast."