The Fig Tree and the Olive Tree
Once upon a time, two neighboring trees lived on a charming hill adorned with fragrant fruit orchards. One of them was a broad-leaved fig tree, and the other was an olive tree that gleamed like silver in every season. On warm summer days, birds perched on the branches of these two trees, sang sweet songs, and rested joyfully. The fig tree grew its fruits humbly and quietly, welcoming travelers in its shade. The olive tree, however, was proud of its shiny leaves, constantly praising its beauty and talking about how strong it was.
When autumn arrived and the winds turned cold, the fig tree slowly shed its yellowing leaves one by one onto the ground. Seeing this, the proud olive tree looked at its neighbor, began to laugh loudly, and started to look down on it. "Look at me, despite the freezing wind, my leaves are still lush green and lively," said the olive tree. "As for you, you are left completely bare, looking like an ugly and weak piece of wood," it boasted. The fig tree smiled patiently and said, "Seasons change, my dear neighbor, every state has a reason." The olive tree paid no mind to these words, continuing to pride itself on its green dress and mock the fig tree.
Then winter came, dark clouds covered the sky, and a harsh wind began to blow. A sudden freezing blizzard poured dense masses of heavy snow onto the hill. The snow slipped right through the leafless branches of the fig tree, placing no weight on it at all. However, the heavy snow accumulating on the olive tree's lush leaves began to strain its proud branches. Unable to bear the burden of the snow any longer, the finest branches of the olive tree broke with a loud crash. When the storm subsided, while the olive tree remained injured and broken, the leafless fig tree managed to stay completely unharmed.
Advantages thought to be permanent in outward appearance can turn into a heavy burden during hard times. Eat a big bite, but do not speak big words.