Once upon a time, according to an old fable, the sun and the northwind
had a contest to see which could take a man's coat off the more quickly.
The northwind tried first. It gathered together all its forces in its
own corner of the earth, and then rushed forth upon this man who was
walking along a country-road. The wind blew and blew, and it seemed as
if the traveller's coat would be blown from his back or torn to tatters.
But the harder the northwind blew the tighter the man drew his coat
about him, and the wind could not get it off his back. After it had
spent all its force it gave up in despair.
Then the sun had its turn. It came out without noise or violence like
the northwind. It did not whistle in the treetops nor bluster through
the bushes. It did not buffet nor struggle with the man. It just went on
pouring forth its heat. And it seemed as if it could never win, any
more than the northwind. But soon the traveller took out his
handkerchief and wiped the perspiration from his face. Then, before
long, he took off his hat. Soon he unbuttoned his coat, and finally he
took it off of his own accord. The sun had won the contest against the
northwind!
Now, a fable is meant to teach a lesson. The lesson of this fable is
that gentleness wins where only strength and rudeness fail. If some one
has done you a wrong, the way to deal with him is not to try to "get
even" with him, as we say. Nor is the best way to get angry with him and
scold him. The Bible tells us that the way to overcome your enemy is to
do good for evil, for it says by so doing you will "heap coals of fire
upon his head."
Usually it is the weak people who bluster like the northwind, and storm
and brag. Strong people are usually quiet. There is an old saying that
"if you are right you can afford to keep your temper, and if you are
wrong you cannot afford to lose it." Be gentle. You will win more that
way than by getting angry.