The Father and His Sons 父親與爭吵的兒子們
A FATHER had a family of sons who wereperpetually quarreling among themselves. When he failed to healtheir disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them apractical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for thispurpose he one day told them to bring him a bundle of sticks. Whenthey had done so, he placed the faggot into the hands of each ofthem in succession, and ordered them to break it in pieces. Theytried with all their strength, and were not able to do it. He nextopened the faggot, took the sticks separately, one by one, andagain put them into his sons' hands, upon which they broke themeasily. He then addressed them in these words: "My sons, if youare of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be asthis faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but ifyou are divided among yourselves , you will be broken as easily asthese sticks." & L5 _, ]6 I% E
有個父親的兒子們常常互相爭鬥不休。他多次語重心長地勸說他們，儘管他苦口婆心， 仍無濟於事。他認為應該用事實來教育他們，便叫兒子們去拿一捆木棒來。木棒拿來後，他 先把整捆木棒交給他們，叫他們折斷。兒子們一個個竭盡了全力都無法將它折斷。隨後他解 開了那捆木棒，給他們每人一根。他們都毫不費力地將木棒折為兩段。這時，父親說：“孩子們，你們要像木棒一樣，團結一致，齊心協力，就不會被敵人征服；可你們互相爭鬥不休，便很容易被敵人打垮。”
這故事說明，團結就是不可征服的力量，而內訌卻只能耗損自己。
