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United We Stand; Divided We Fall

A retelling of an Aesop’s fable.

The wilderness was filled with the birds’ merry songs, when suddenly a deafening roar filled the field and forest. A timid American robin, overcome by his curiosity, peeked out of his nest and found a fierce lioness hunting the four oxen that lived there. Many times she tried to attack them, but alas, each of them turned their tails, forming a circle so that each time she approached, she met a sharp pair of horns. Unfortunately, the beasts started quarreling among themselves about which grazing spot was theirs. Foolishly, they split up and took separate grazing patches in the field, making one another easy prey. The lioness thought, “They’d make a quick catch for my dinner.” So the lioness pounced on them, one by one, and made a rapid end to all of them. Watching the whole scene, the robin, who had brought its chicks to witness, flew to a different perch to advise everyone, “Like the four oxen that you just observed, united we stand; divided we fall.” 

14 thoughts on “United We Stand; Divided We Fall”

    1. Is it Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 that you were thinking of?

      9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

  1. So relevant for the times we live in. As our enemies increase in number and strength, community is more and more essential. As are friendships.

  2. You are wiser than your single digit age. Love the eye witness accounts from the “timid” robin who is passing these lessons to the next generation. Yes, how often do we quarrel among ourselves to our detriment.

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