In a village, there lived a farmer with his four sons. The farmer was hardworking, and so were his sons. However, despite their dedication and honesty in their work, the sons couldn’t get along with each other. They quarreled over trivial matters, causing distress to the farmer. Despite the farmer’s attempts to explain and resolve the issues, the disputes among his sons persisted.
As the farmer grew old, the conflicts among his sons showed no signs of ending. One day, he devised a plan to break this habit of constant quarreling. He called all his sons together and said, “Today, I am assigning you a task. I want to see who among you can complete it successfully with dedication and hard work.”
The sons gathered, curious about the task. The farmer instructed his eldest son, “Go and bring some wooden sticks from outside.” To the second son, he said, “Fetch a rope.”
Upon receiving the materials, the farmer told his sons to tie the wooden sticks together with the rope and create a bundle. Once they completed this, he said, “Now, each one of you needs to try breaking this bundle into two parts using your strength.”
The eldest son took the bundle first, attempting to break it with all his might, but he couldn’t succeed. Then, he handed the bundle to the second son, who also failed to break it. The third son and the fourth son tried as well, but the bundle remained intact.
Finally, the farmer gave the bundle to the youngest son, saying, “Now, it’s your turn.” The youngest son, acknowledging the challenge, put forth his effort and managed to break the bundle easily.
The farmer smiled and said, “Children, you are like these wooden sticks. As long as you stay united, no external force can harm you. But if you remain divided, even the smallest challenges can break you apart, just like this bundle. Learn from this and live in harmony. Unity is strength.”
Upon hearing these words, the sons understood their father’s message. They apologized for their mistakes and promised not to quarrel again. The lesson from the story is that unity is the greatest strength, and when people stand together, they can overcome any challenge.
