Strength in Unity

In a small village between the Japan hills misty, there lived an old samurai named Hiroshi. His three sons were renowned in the village not for their brawn, but for their pride and perpetual fights.

Feeling his time was running out, Hiroshi summoned them to him. He gave each of the sons one arrow and instructed them to break it. They broke it with ease. Then he gave them a packet of ten arrows bound together. No matter how hard they strained, the pack would not break.


Looking straight to their eyes, Hiroshi told them, "when fight each other, you three stay separate from one another. This makes each one of you weak. But when three of you get united, you are strong and no one can shatter you. Remember this when the world puts your strength to the test."

When Hiroshi passed away, his sons remembered his words from the depth of their hearts. The once quarreled brothers came together, and together, they forged a strong family that no enemy could shatter anytime.

From that day on, the villagers spoke of Hiroshi's wisdom:

An individual arrow can be easily shattered, but not ten arrows bundled together.