An old man had four sons. The sons always quarreled with one another. The father wanted them to live together happily.
One day he called his sons together. They came and sat down in front of him. The father had a bundle of sticks in his hand. He gave each of his sons a stick and asked him to bread it. Everyone was able to break his stick easily. The father then gave each one another stick and told them to put the four sticks together. He asked each son to break the four sticks at a time. None of them could break them.
" My sons," said the father, "see the strength of unity. If you are united, no enemy can do you any harm.