Short Stories » Three Sons and a Bundle of Sticks

Three Sons and a Bundle of Sticks

Once upon a time, an old man lived with his three sons in a village. The three sons were hard workers. Still, they quarrelled all the time. The old man tried a lot to unite them but he failed. Though the villagers appreciated their hard work and efforts, they made fun of them on their fights.

Months passed by and the old man fell sick. He told his sons to stay united, but they didn’t listen to him. So, he decided to teach them a practical lesson so that they would forget their differences and stay united.

The old man called his sons. He told them, “I will give you a bundle of sticks. Separate each stick and you will have to break each stick into two. The one who breaks the sticks quickly will be rewarded more.”

The sons agreed.

The old man gave a bundle of 10 sticks to each of them and asked them to break each stick into pieces. They broke the sticks into pieces in minutes.

And again they started to quarrel among themselves as to who came first.

The old man said, “Dear sons, the game is not over. Now I will give another bundle of sticks to each of you. You will have to break the sticks as a bundle, not as separate sticks.”

The sons agreed and tried to break the bundle of sticks. Though they tried their best, they could not break the bundle. They failed to complete the task.

The three sons reported their failure to their father.

The old man replied, “Dear sons, See! You could easily break the single sticks into pieces, but you were not able to break the bundle! So, if you stay united, nobody can do any harm to you. If you quarrel every time with your brothers, anyone can easily defeat you. I request you to stay united.”

The three sons understood the power of unity and promised their father that whatever be the situation, they would all stay together.

Moral: Unity is Strength!

Three Sons and a Bundle of Sticks - Takeaway for Class 1,2,3

We are stronger together. When we work as a team, we can face anything!

Three Sons and a Bundle of Sticks - Takeaway for Class 4,5,6

This story teaches that being united makes us stronger, while being divided makes us weaker and more vulnerable.

Three Sons and a Bundle of Sticks - Takeaway for Class 7,8,9

The tale demonstrates how unity among family members or friends can prevent conflicts and overcome challenges that individual effort alone cannot.

3 Fun Facts on Three Sons and a Bundle of Sticks for Children

• This story about the power of unity is told in many cultures around the world.
• The old man's trick with the bundle of sticks shows a clever way to teach important lessons without scolding!
• This story reminds us that even small things, like sticks, can teach us big life lessons.

Three Sons and a Bundle of Sticks Quiz for Class 1,2,3

• What did the old man ask his sons to break?
• Were the sons able to break the bundle of sticks?
• What lesson did the sons learn from their father?

Three Sons and a Bundle of Sticks Quiz for Class 4,5,6

• Why couldn’t the sons break the sticks when they were in a bundle?
• What did the old man want his sons to learn from the bundle of sticks?
• How did the sons promise to behave after learning the lesson?

Three Sons and a Bundle of Sticks Quiz for Class 7,8,9

• Discuss how the story shows that unity is a strength.
• Why was it easy for the sons to break individual sticks but not the bundle?
• Can you think of a time when teamwork helped you accomplish something difficult?