The Bundle of Sticks (Aesop’s Fable)

There was once a farmer who had five sons. He was very happy when they were born, because he had thought that he will have a strong and happy family which worked together, laughed together and looked after each other always. After all, in a world where there were many enemies, it is important that there was family to protect each other.

But the brothers were not united. They were jealous of each other and didn’t help each other prosper.

They didn’t work together in the harvesting of fields, they didn’t help with the clearing of land, so everything took longer, became harder. The father saw what was happening and felt very worried.

One day he collected a bundle of sticks together. He tied it with a rope. Then he called all his five sons to him.

“Take this bundle of sticks, each of you in turn,” he said. “Then try to break it in half.”

The first son took the bundle of sticks tied with the rope and tried to break it. It didn’t even bend. Then the second son tried. Not a stick was harmed. So the bundle of sticks passed from son to son but no one could break it. The father watched them struggle. And then took the unharmed bundle of sticks and laid it on the floor before them. He took off the rope that tied them together. The sticks fell apart and scattered around. Then he told his sons to now break the sticks.

Each son took a stick up and broke it easily. Soon the whole bundle lay in pieces.

Then the father said, “Do you see what protected the sticks before? It was the rope that tied and held them together. When they were together, no one could break them or harm them. When they fell apart and were alone, it was easy to snap them in half. People are like that too. When they stand together or stay together protecting each other, it is very difficult to harm them. When a family or any group has love and caring tying them together like this rope tied the sticks, no one from outside can harm them. That is what you should all learn.”

The sons looked at the broken sticks on the ground and understood what the father was trying to show them. They worked together as a family after that and prospered well, all of them.