05 The Bundle of Sticks

5. THE BUNDLE OF

STICKS

By Sharri McGarry

Mrs Mckenzie had six strong sons.

They were Peter, Paul and Patrick,

Philip, Frankie and Fred. The only

trouble was they couldn’t stop

arguing with each other!

When Mrs Mckenzie wanted a well

dug – do you think six strong sons

could do that? 'We'll dig a hole

here!' said Peter. 'No – over here!'

said Patrick.

And each of the six strong sons

grabbed a spade and started

digging different holes in different

parts of the garden! 'That's no use

at all,' she sighed.

Mrs Mckenzie asked her six strong

sons to row her across the river to

see her friend. 'We'll do it!' cried

Peter and Paul. They leapt into the

boat and sat down facing the front

and picked up oars. 'No we will!'

shouted Patrick and Philip. And

they sat down facing backwards

and picked up the oars.

And though they pulled at the oars

until the sweat dripped off them –

they were rowing the boat in

opposite directions and the boat went

absolutely nowhere! 'Oh that's no

use at all,' she sighed.

One day there was a notice in the

paper. 'Grand Competition to build

the biggest barn in the county!' it

read. '£600 prize!' 'I'll win that!'

said Peter. 'No I'll win it!' said Paul.

Patrick, Philip, Frankie and Fred all

disagreed…and they all fell to

arguing.

Suddenly, Mrs Mckenzie jumped to

her feet. 'Quiet!' she said. Then

she climbed up on her chair. 'Quiet!'

she shouted. Then she climbed

up right on top of the table. 'WILL

YOU BE QUIET!' she roared. Six

sons went very, very quiet. They

looked up at their mother in aston

ishment.

'That's better,' Mrs Mckenzie said.

'Now, you! Fetch me one of those

big bundles of sticks that we keep

for the fire.' 'Yes Mum!' said Peter.

1He ran out the door and came back

with sticks tied together in abundle

as fat as your arm. 'Here you are

Mum,' he panted. Mrs Mckenzie

folded her arms. 'Now, my fine

strong son, break that bundle in

two!'

Peter smirked at his brothers.

'Easy!' he boasted, and he took

the bundle in both hands. He bent

the bundle and he bowed the bun

dle but he could not break the

bundle. 'Well?' said Mrs Mckenzie,

tapping her foot.

Peter hung his head in shame. 'I

can't do it!' 'Pass the bundle to

Paul,' said Mrs Mckenzie. 'Ha, ha,

ha! Watch this, ha, ha!' sneered

Paul. He bent the bundle and he

bowed the bundle but he could not

break the bundle. And neither could

Patrick, Philip, Frankie or Fred.

'Give it to me!' said Mrs Mckenzie.

She took the bundle of sticks and

untied the string.

She gave one stick to each of her

sons. 'Can you break that?' she

asked. CRACK! Went the sticks as

the six strong sons easily broke

them.

'And what have you broken?'

asked Mrs Mckenzie. 'Er...a stick?'

asked Peter, looking down at his

hands.

'Yes,' Mrs Mckenzie nodded. 'But

between you, you have broken the

bundle of sticks.' The six strong

sons looked at each other.

'One of you wasn't strong enough,'

explained Mrs Mckenzie, 'but when

you all worked together…'

'We were much stronger!' cried

Peter, Paul, Patrick, Philip, Frankie

and Fred.

And so they were.

And do you know that when they

went to the competition, the six

strong sons of Mrs Mckenzie all

worked together to build the

biggest barn in the county and they

won that prize money. All together.

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