The Strength in Unity: A Famous and Inspiring Story
A farmer lived in a village. He had four sons. The farmer was very hardworking, and as a result, all his sons were also diligent in their work. However, the sons did not get along. They constantly fought over petty disagreements. The farmer was deeply troubled by their constant quarrels. He tried many times to reason with his sons, but his words had no effect. As time passed and the farmer grew older, the cycle of conflict among his sons showed no sign of ending. One day, the farmer devised a plan to address this persistent disharmony among his children.
He called all his sons to him. When they heard their father's voice, all the sons rushed to him, puzzled as to why he had summoned them together. They asked him why he had called them. The farmer replied, "Today, I have a task for each of you. I want to see who amongst you can perform this task well." All the sons, in unison, said, "Father, whatever task you wish to give us, we will undertake it with diligence and utmost effort." The farmer turned to his eldest son and said, "Go outside and bring some wood." To his second son, he said, "Bring a rope." As soon as the farmer spoke, the eldest son went to gather wood, and the second son ran outside to fetch a rope.
After a while, both sons returned, bringing the wood and the rope to their father. The farmer then instructed them, "Tie all this wood together with the rope to make a bundle." Following their father's instructions, the eldest son tied all the wood together to form a bundle. Once the bundle was ready, the eldest son asked his father, "Father, what should we do now?" The father smiled and said, "Now, you must break this bundle of wood into two pieces using your strength." Hearing this, the eldest son said, "This is a simple task for me; I can do it in a few minutes." The second son echoed, "What's the difficulty? It's a piece of cake." The third son declared, "Only I can do this." The youngest son boasted, "This is beyond anyone's strength. I, and only I, am b enough to accomplish this."
Immediately, the brothers started arguing, just as they always had. The farmer said, "My children, I have not called you here to quarrel. I want to see who amongst you can do this. Stop arguing, and show me how you can break this bundle of wood." The farmer allowed each son a turn. The eldest son took the bundle of wood. He tried his best, but failed. He then offered the bundle to the second son. "I've failed," he said, "You try now." The second son also attempted to break the bundle but failed. Likewise, the third son failed as well, then passed the bundle to the youngest son. Finally, the youngest son made an attempt but also failed.
In defeat, he threw the bundle on the ground and said, "Father, it's impossible!" The farmer smiled and said, "Now, open the bundle and break each piece of wood individually." The four brothers did as they were instructed. This time, each one easily broke the individual pieces of wood. The farmer said, "My children, you are like these pieces of wood. If you stay united, you can overcome any difficulty. But if you fight and remain divided, you will break apart easily." Understanding his father's message, the sons apologized for their past behavior and promised to live in harmony from then on.
The lesson we learn from this story is this: If we stay united, we can easily overcome any difficulty. But if we fight and remain divided, even the smallest problem can become a major obstacle.
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