Once upon a time, there lived a huge oak tree. The oak tree was proud that it was the biggest and strongest in the world. "Despite any hardships, I can survive till the end. There is nothing as powerful as me."

One day, a severe windstorm began. Watching the other trees fall down one by one, the oak tree was triumphant¹. "I'll be fine."

However, the oak tree collapsed² when the windstorm was blowing. Flowing on the water, the oak tree thought, 'How did I end up like this?'

As it was swept away by the river, the oak tree passed a field of reeds. The reeds were standing³ there without being broken. "Oh, Mr. Reed! How did you survive the rainstorm with your fragile body?" The oak tree envied the reeds.

One of the reeds kindly⁴ said to the oak tree flowing down, "Mr. Oak Tree, you showed that you were the strongest in the world, right? The wind brings down anything with an air of importance."

"We never think highly of ourselves, but lower our heads when we come across a windstorm. If you had lowered your head without being so proud, you would have survived the rainstorm."