The Old Man and His Sons

  AN Old Man, afflicted¹ with a family of contentious² Sons, brought in
a bundle of sticks and asked the young men to break it.  After
repeated efforts they confessed that it could not be done. 
"Behold," said the Old Man, "the advantage of unity³; as long as
these sticks are in alliance they are invincible⁴, but observe how
feeble they are individually."

  Pulling a single stick from the bundle, he broke it easily upon the
head of the eldest⁵ Son, and this he repeated until all had been
served.