A man once had four sons who never stopped quarrelling with one another.

He was always telling them how much easier life would be if they worked together but they took absolutely no notice of him.

One day he decided to show them what he meant.

He called all the sons together and put a tightly tied bundle of sticks on the floor in front of them.

“Can you break that？” he asked the youngest son. The boy put his knee on the bundle but though he pressed and pulled with his arms he could not bend the wood.

The father asked each son in turn to try to break the bundle， but none of them could do it.

Then he untied the string and scattered the sticks.

“Now try，” he said. The boys broke the sticks easily in their hands.

“Do you see what I mean？” asked the father. “If only you stand together no one can hurt you. If you all disagree the whole time and insist on going your separate ways， the first enemy you meet will be able to destroy you.”

從前有一个人，他有四个儿子，但儿子们之间不断地争吵。

他一再告诫他们说，如果他们同心协力，生活会舒适得多，但他们丝毫不理会他的意见。

有一天，他决定通过示范把自己的意思告诉他们。

他把四个儿子都叫来，又把一捆扎得很紧的树枝放在他们面前。

“你能折断这捆树枝吗？”他问最小的儿子。小儿子用膝盖顶住树枝，两只手又压又拉，都不能把那捆树枝弄弯。

父亲让另外三个儿子挨个儿试了试，但他们谁也做不到。

然后，他解开绳子，把树枝撒开。

“现在试试吧。”他说。四个孩子用手轻轻一撅，树枝就断了。

“你们明白我的意思了吗？”父亲问，“只要你们联合起来，谁也不能伤害你们。如果你们老吵架，坚持各行其是，那么你们一遇到敌人，就会被打败。”

Vocabulary

quarrel v. 争吵;拌嘴

bundle n. （一）捆，包，扎

scatter v. 撒;使分散

insist on 坚持