Aesop's Fables: The Power of Unity

In one of Aesop's familiar fables, an old man has several sons who are always fighting among themselves. He had often, but without success, exhorted them to live together in harmony. One day, he called them together, gathered a bundle of sticks, tied them together, and asked each of them to try to break them.

Each one tried as hard as they could, but none of them could break the bundle of sticks. Then the father cut the cord he had tied them with and told his sons to break them separately. This was done with the greatest ease. “See, my sons,” the old man said, “the power of…