The North Wind and the Sun

Aesop published 1867 468 characters easy

THE NORTH WIND and the Sun disputed as to which was the most powerful, and agreed that he should be declared the victor who could first strip a wayfaring man of his clothes. The North Wind first tried his power and blew with all his might, but the keener his blasts, the closer the Traveler wrapped his cloak around him, until at last, resigning all hope of victory, the Wind called upon the Sun to see what he could do. The Sun suddenly shone out with all his warmth.

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About this text

This fable is number 46 in the Perry Index, and its point about gentleness beating force is stated in the closing line. Linguists borrowed the story for a different purpose: the International Phonetic Association prints it as the sample text for comparing the sounds of languages. The wording here is Townsend’s translation of 1867. Sun and wind appear as rivals in Greek versions from the first century as well.

Where this text comes fromTwo forces of nature agree on a test before they begin, and that agreement is what makes the story work as an argument rather than a fight: both accept the same measure of success in advance, so the loser cannot object afterwards. There is no dialogue at all in the passage. Everything is reported, including the terms of the contest, which gives the fable the flat tone of an account rather than a scene.

What you might not noticeThe fable opens with three consecutive words in full capitals, which is the longest run of capitalized words in this collection and puts twenty-one capital letters into a short passage. Source

What it trainsTwenty-one capitals in 468 characters, eighteen of them inside sentences, because the passage begins with three words in a row set entirely in upper case. That opening asks you to hold Shift across a span rather than tap it for single letters, a different motion and the one most people fumble. After it the punctuation is remarkably plain: six commas and three full stops, nothing else at all. Three sentences average nearly thirty words, and no word passes nine letters, so once the opening is behind you the passage asks for speed rather than care.

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Read the full text at the publisher: Project Gutenberg