The Bundle of Sticks

In a cozy house by a wide meadow lived three siblings who squabbled almost every day — over toys, over seats, over everything — until their father hardly knew what to do about it.

One day, the father walked out to the garden and gathered dry sticks, tying them together into one big, tight bundle. Then he called his three children to sit in a circle around him.

He handed the bundle to each child and asked them to try breaking it. Every one of them pushed and twisted with all their strength, but no one could snap the bundle at all.

Then the father untied the rope and separated the bundle into single sticks, handing one to each child to try again. This time, every single stick snapped easily with a quick, satisfying crack.

The father smiled and said, "You see, children? Together like this bundle, no one can break us. But apart, we're as weak as a single stick." From that day on, the siblings stopped quarreling and always helped one another instead.

When brothers, sisters, or friends work together, they are always stronger than when each one stands alone.