تجادلت شجرةُ بلّوط مع قصبة حول قوّتهما. فلما هبّت ريحٌ عاتية، انحنت القصبةُ مع الريح ومالت معها فنجت من الاقتلاع. أما البلّوط فصمد، فاقتلعته الريح من جذوره.

“An oak and a reed were arguing about their strength. When a strong wind came up, the reed avoided being uprooted by bending and leaning with the gusts of wind. But the oak stood firm and was torn up by the roots.”Aesop — Aesop without morals: the famous fables, and a life of Aesop, newly translated and edited by Lloyd W. Daly. Illustrated by Grace Muscarella (1961)