Farmer Tom had several sons, who were always quarrelling and fighting with one another. He tried every means in his power to make them live happily together, but all in vain. One day, he asked his eldest son to bring him a bundle of sticks. When the son brought the sticks, the Farmer said to his eldest son, “Break them.” The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was not able to break the bundle of sticks. Then he called his next son, and bade him try: but the second son failed to break the bundle.
Then the Farmer called his sons all together and bade each one of them to take a stick. When they had done so, he said to them, “Break your bundle now.” The sons soon broke the sticks, and the Farmer said, “You see my meaning. If you are united, you will be able to resist much stronger foes than yourselves; but, beware, if you are divided among yourselves, you will be weak.”