Strength Through Unity

Once, there was a man with three sons. Each was to inherit part of his fathers's estate. Often the three sons would quarrel about what each one of them would receive from the estate.

The father recognized the conflict between the sons, so he bundled some reeds together and, with thongs and rope, bound them very tightly. He gave the bundle to the three sons and said, "if one of you can break this bundle of reeds, then you will inherit all that I own."

Each son tried desperately to break the reeds, but none of them could. Disappointed, the sons returned the bundle to their father and explained that they could not break it.

The father proceeded to untie the complicated bundle of reeds and lay the individual reeds out in front of his sons. When he had done so, he broke each reed one by one. Then he said, "I want to make a point. The reeds as a unified bundle are very strong and undefeatable. Individually, they are weak and easily broken."