STRENGTH IN UNITY
When the king grew old and the time of his death approached, he summoned his sons. He asked them to bring thirty arrows, tie them tightly, and make a bundle. He then gave this bundle to each son in turn and asked them to try to break it. However, none of them could break it. The king then untied the bundle and broke the arrows easily.
Afterward, the king explained to his sons, “If you stay united like this bundle of arrows, no enemy will be able to defeat you, just as you could not break the bundle. But if you break apart, your enemies will easily defeat you, just as the individual arrows were easily broken.”
By Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani
Reflection Questions:
How did the king try to teach his sons a lesson?
Did the lesson have a positive impact on the sons?
Why do you think the king chose to use a bundle of arrows to teach his sons a lesson about unity?
What is the moral of the story?
How did the sons feel when they were unable to break the bundle of arrows?
What was their reaction to the king’s explanation?
What are some ways to foster unity in a group?
In what ways can disunity be harmful to a group?