September 7. “I have some interesting news for you today.”

“Really, Button! That’s great news. Tell me.”

“The myth is that elephants are scared of mice but it’s just been discovered by a group of international researchers that the jumbo is really scared of an animal that’s much, much smaller in size. Any guesses?”

“None.”

“It’s the tiny ant.”

“That’s some discovery. But how?”

“Elephants stay away from certain plants infested with ants that act as the plant’s bodyguard and have a major impact on the ecosystems of the plants they inhabit. Swarming groups of ants which weigh about 5mg each can and do protect trees and plants from animals about a billion times bigger.”

“It also shows that unity is lethal and can win any kind of battle. Can I tell you a little story as a rejoinder?”

“Of-course.”

“It’s a story about unity. A king had two sons who were always fighting amongst themselves. One day, he called both his sons and, pointing to a single stick and a bundle, asked each of them to try and break them. The eldest son broke the single stick effortlessly but couldn’t break the bundle. The other son faced the same dilemna. What lesson do we learn from this story?”

“That singly, we are easily defeated while, if we work together, we can be a force to reckon with.”

“Absolutely.”

“Did you like the news I shared with you?”

“Very much and thank you. You must do it more often, Button. By the way, where did you read about it? I seem to have missed it.”

“I read it in the Times of India.”