There once was an old man who had many sons, and they were always quarreling with one another, never agreeing on anything at all.

The father grew very sad because of their constant disputes, and he decided to teach them an important lesson before it was too late.

One day, he gathered his sons and gave each of them a bundle of sticks tied tightly together, and said, "Try to break this whole bundle."

Each son tried with all his strength, but none of them could break the bundle, no matter how hard they tried.

Then the father untied the bundle and gave each son just a single stick. "Now try to break it," he said, and each one broke his stick with perfect ease.

The father smiled and said to his sons, "That is how you are. If you stay united like the bundle of sticks, no one can defeat you. But if you scatter apart, each of you can easily be broken alone."

The Lesson: Unity is strength, and division is weakness.