The Wind and the Sun: Reading Comprehension Activity

Are you looking for an English short story for reading exercise? ”The Wind and the Sun” is a great story with an amazing moral message about the strength of unity. We have three versions of the story for different levels of English readers: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Use the appropriate level for you or your students.

In this article, we also provide the moral of the story of the wind and sun, along with reading comprehensive questions and answers. Also, learn a list of key vocabulary from this English short story.

The Wind and the Sun Story

If you know your English reading level, jump to the appropriate one. If not, start with the beginner level and see if you’d be able to challenge yourself to read the intermediate or advanced version of “The Sun and the Wind.”

Beginner

Once upon a time, in a peaceful meadow, two friends, the Sun and the Wind, had a fun challenge. They wanted to see who could get a traveler to take off his heavy coat.

First, the Wind huffed and puffed, blowing strongly. But the traveler held onto his coat, not wanting to let go.

Then, the Sun smiled warmly and shone its gentle rays. The meadow got nice and warm, and the traveler felt cozy. He happily took off his coat and continued on his way.

The lesson: being kind and warm works better than being strong. Just like the friendly Sun, we can achieve more with kindness than with force.

Intermediate

In a peaceful meadow, two friends, the Sun and the Wind, decided on a friendly competition. Their challenge: convince a traveler to remove his heavy coat.

The Wind, eager to display strength, blew fiercely, rustling leaves and swirling dust. However, the traveler clutched his coat tighter against the force.

Next, the Sun approached with a warm smile. Its gentle rays enveloped the meadow, creating a comfortable warmth. The traveler, feeling the Sun’s kindness, willingly shed his coat and continued with a smile.

The moral: kindness and warmth achieve more than force. Just as the gentle Sun succeeded, we too can accomplish more through understanding than through power.

 Advanced

Once upon a time, in a tranquil meadow surrounded by towering trees and colorful flowers, there lived two friends—the Sun and the Wind. They were as different as day and night, yet their friendship was strong, and they enjoyed spending time together.

One day, the Wind and the Sun decided to have a friendly competition to see who could persuade a passing traveler to take off his heavy coat. The Wind, always eager to show off its strength, went first.

The Wind blew with all its might, creating a powerful gust that rustled the leaves, swirled the dust, and howled through the meadow. The traveler, feeling the forceful wind, clutched his coat tighter and continued walking against the breeze. The Wind, frustrated by its inability to make the traveler remove his coat, conceded defeat. The Sun, smiling warmly, stepped forward to try its approach.

Gently, the Sun began to shine its radiant rays upon the meadow. The air became comfortably warm, and the traveler felt the Sun’s embrace. Slowly, he started to feel the heat, and the warmth made him realize that his heavy coat was no longer necessary.

The traveler, feeling the Sun’s kindness, willingly took off his coat and continued his journey with a smile. The Sun, pleased with the success of its gentle warmth, and the Wind, having learned a valuable lesson, shared a hearty laugh.

The moral of the story is that kindness and warmth can achieve what force and strength cannot. Just as the gentle Sun convinced the traveler to shed his coat, we too can achieve more through kindness and understanding than through force and power.

The Wind and the Sun: Moral of the Story

The moral of the story about the sun and the wind is that being kind and gentle is often more effective than using force or being strong. Like the friendly Sun, we can achieve more by being nice to others.

Vocabulary

Learn the English words from the story you just read.

• huffed and puffed: breathed in a loud and heavy way.
• rays: light that comes from the sun.
• cozy: comfortable.
• enveloped: surrounded.
• tranquil: peaceful.
• conceded: admitted defeat.

The Wind and the Sun: Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension activities assess and ensure that the reader has understood the story. These questions test the basic understanding and thinking skills such as analysis and interpretation. If you are an English teacher, use these reading comprehension questions to evaluate your student’s ability to extract meaning, make connections, and apply the information they’ve acquired.

Comprehension Questions

1. What was the friendly competition between the Sun and the Wind about?
2. How did the Wind try to win the competition?
3. Why did the traveler not take off his coat when the Wind blew?
4. What approach did the Sun take in the competition?
5. What was the traveler’s reaction to the Sun’s approach?

Answers

1. The competition was about convincing a traveler to take off his heavy coat.
2. The Wind blew strongly, creating a powerful gust of wind.
3. The traveler held onto his coat because the Wind’s force made it feel colder.
4. The Sun shone warmly and gently, creating a comfortable warmth in the meadow.
5. Feeling the Sun’s kindness, the traveler willingly took off his coat and continued with a smile.

More Short Stories

• The Crow and the Pitcher
• The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs
• The Ant and the Grasshopper
• The Frog and the Ox
• A Bundle of Sticks

The Wind and the Sun: Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts on this classic moral story about the sun and wind? Do you agree with the moral of the story? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you.