Section 8
Father and Sons explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A certain man had several Sons who were always quarrelling with one another, and, try as he might, he could not get them to live together in harmony. So he determined to convince them of their folly by the following means. Bidding them fetch a bundle of sticks, he invited each in turn to break it across his...
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Public-domain original
A certain man had several Sons who were always quarrelling with one
another, and, try as he might, he could not get them to live together
in harmony. So he determined to convince them of their folly by the
following means. Bidding them fetch a bundle of sticks, he invited
each in turn to break it across his knee. All tried and all failed:
and then he undid the bundle, and handed them the sticks one by one,
when they had no difficulty at all in breaking them. "There, my boys,"
said he, "united you will be more than a match for your enemies: but
if you quarrel and separate, your weakness will put you at the mercy
of those who attack you."
Union is strength.
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A father shows his quarrelling sons that sticks are easy to break alone but strong together.
Why this scene matters
This fable matters because it turns unity into a simple physical lesson anyone can understand.
Characters in this scene
- The father: The parent who teaches the lesson.
- The sons: The quarrelling brothers who must learn unity.
- The bundle of sticks: The object lesson showing strength together.
Simple story version
A father gives his sons sticks to break. One stick breaks easily, but a bundle does not, so they learn to stay united.