A Fable.
No. 1. —The Bundle of Sticks. An old man had several sons. He loved them all much, and they loved him, but they did not love each other. They were always quarreling and fighting with each other. Their father was very sorry for this. He tried to make them love each other, and he bade them live in peace, but his words were all in vain. At last the old man fell ill. When he was dying he called his sons to his bedside. When they were come he told them to fetch a bundle of slicks, and they did so. Then he gave the bundle to his eldest son, and told him to try and break it. His son tried and tried again: he was very strong, but he could not succeed in] breaking the bundle of slicks. Thon the second son tried ; then the third son ; then the youngest; but none of them could break it. Then their father said, "Bring me the bundle of sticks." They accordingly did so, and having untied it, he gave a single slick to each of his four sons, and bade them try to break that. Each of the sons broke one slick very easily. It was little trouble to break a single stick. Then the old man said, "My sons, lam going to die, and you four will have my land among you. You are young men, and you will have many enemies. How will you be able to protect yourselves ? If you are like this bundle of slicks no one will be able to overcome you. If you will not love each other, or hold by each other, you will be conquered just as easily as you each broke one stick, moral. *• ' "A house divided against itself cannot stand."
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Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MMTKM18610415.2.16
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume I, Issue 3, 15 April 1861, Page 14
Word count
Tapeke kupu
301A Fable. Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume I, Issue 3, 15 April 1861, Page 14
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