北風覺得自己的力量非常強大，能輕易把人吹得瑟瑟发抖，甚至能把一棵大樹連根拔起，他為此非常得意。太陽對此很不屑，覺得這根本不算什麽。他們為此爭論不休。爭吵沒有結果，北風和太陽決定比試一下，誰能使得行人脫下衣服，誰就勝利。
　　北風一開始就猛烈地刮，路上的行人緊緊裹住自己的衣服。北風刮得更猛了，行人為了抵禦寒冷，便添加更多衣服。北風疲倦了，只能讓位給太陽。太陽最初把溫和的陽光灑向行人，行人脫掉了添加的衣服，太陽接著把強烈的陽光射向大地，行人開始汗流浹背，衣服越脫越少，最後脫光衣服跳到河裡去洗澡。太陽贏了。

【北風與太陽的寓意】
　　北方與太陽這篇寓言告訴了我們，勸說往往比強迫更為有效，待人處事不是給人壓力、給人逼迫，就能成功，就能獲勝，疾言厲色或者使用暴力，是無法令人心服口服的，反而是要給人溫暖、安詳、以尊重、愛語，讓人心生歡喜、心悅誠服，才是勝利者。
 

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THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN
A dispute arose between the North Wind and the Sun，each claiming that he was stronger than the other. At last, they agreed to try their powers upon a traveler, to see which could soonest strip him of his cloak. The North Wind had the first try and gathering up all his force for the attack. He came whirling furiously down upon the man and caught up his cloak as though he would wrest it from him by one single effort. But the harder he blew, the more closely the man wrapped it around himself. Then came the turn of the Sun. At first, he beamed gently upon the traveler, who soon unclasped his cloak and walked on with it hanging loosely about his shoulders. Then he shone forth in his full strength and the mall. Before he had gone many steps, he was glad to throw his cloak right off and complete his journey more lightly clad.