The Oak and the Reed
A musical retelling of Aesop's fable about a proud Oak, a swaying Reed, and what the storm left standing
[OAK] "I am the oak! I stand up tall! I do not bow! I do not fall!"
[NARRATOR] The oak tree towered proud and grand, The mightiest tree in all the land. His trunk was wide, his branches spread, His shadow cast a mighty bed.
[NARRATOR] But the little reed just swayed and sang, [REED] "I bend, I bend, I dance, I dance, The wind and I do a little dance."
[NARRATOR] The oak looked down with scornful eyes, [OAK] "You're weak!" he boomed up to the skies. "The weakest breeze could make you fall -- How can you call yourself a tree at all?"
[NARRATOR] The storm came howling through the night. The oak stood firm with all his might. He would not bend. He would not sway. CRACK! The great oak snapped that day.
But the little reed bent low, bent low, Let the wild wind come and go, And when the storm had spent its might, The reed stood up in morning light.
The wind came back, the wind blew through -- And the reed just bent, and danced anew.