A 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

 A 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 breeze, bending with each gust.

The Oak scoffed at them, laughing heartily. “Hah! Look at you! Every time the wind blows, you tremble and bow. I, on the other hand, stand tall and firm, never yielding to the elements. True strength is about standing your ground!”

The Reeds, swaying gently, replied, “That may be so, dear Oak, but we prefer flexibility over stubbornness.”

The Oak rolled its mighty branches. “Nonsense! A tree must be unshakable, unwavering, a true symbol of power and resilience!”

Just then, an enormous storm rolled in, the wind howling like a wild beast. The Oak clenched its bark and stood its ground, refusing to bend. The Reeds, as always, simply swayed and danced with the wind.

Then—CRACK! With a deafening snap, the mighty Oak’s trunk split right down the middle, and with a dramatic thud, it crashed to the ground. The Reeds, still bending, sighed in unison.

One of them leaned toward the fallen Oak and said, “Well… at least you stuck to your principles.”

Another Reed whispered, “Yeah, and now you’re ‘stuck’ to the ground.”

A tiny frog sitting on a leaf croaked out, “Timberrrrr!”

And with that, the Reeds swayed peacefully once more, leaving the once-mighty Oak to reflect on the power of humility, flexibility… and maybe investing in storm insurance.