A husbandman had a quarrelsome family. After trying in vain to reconcile them with words, he thought an example might work better. He called his sons and told them to bring a bundle of sticks. He tied the sticks into a fagot and asked each son, one after another, to try and break it. They all tried, but none succeeded.
Then, untying the fagot, he gave them the sticks to break one by one. This they did with the greatest ease.
The father then said, "Thus, my sons, as long as you remain united, you are a match for all your enemies; but if you differ and separate, you are undone."
Union is strength.