The father bore the quarreling as long as he could. One day he
called his seven sons to him. He had in his hand a bundle of seven
sticks.

"I wish to see which one of you can break this bundle of sticks,"
he said.

The oldest one tried first. He was the strongest, but he could not
break it though he used all his strength. Then each of his
brothers tried hard to break the bundle. None of them could break it.

At last they gave the bundle of sticks back to their father,
saying, "We cannot break it."

The father untied the bundle and gave each son one stick.

"Now see if you can break the sticks," said their father.

They all said, "That is very easily done," and they held up the
broken sticks.

"Now tell us why you asked us to break these sticks," said the
sons.

"Do you not see," replied the father, "that if you all stand
together, nothing can harm you; but if each of you stands by
himself, you may easily be ruined?"