Tu Gu Hun in ancient times is now the Song Pan area of Qinghai and Sichuan Provinces.

古时候的吐谷浑，就是现在的青海及四川的松潘一带。

A’cai, chief of Tu Gu Hun, had 20 sons. One day A’cai said to them:

吐谷浑的首领阿豺有二十个儿子。一天，阿豺对他的儿子说

“Each one of you bring me an arrow.”

“你们每人给我拿一支箭来。”

Then, he broke the arrows one by one and threw them on the ground.

然后，他把拿来的箭一一折断，扔在地下。

After a while, A’cai said to Mu Liyan, his half-brother by the same mother:

过了一会儿，阿豺又对他的同母弟弟慕利延说:

“Bring an arrow and break it.”

“你拿一支箭来把它折断。”

Mu Liyan broke the arrow without any effort.

慕利延毫不费力地把箭折断了。阿豺又说:

“Bring 19 arrows and break them together,” demanded A’cai again.

“你再拿十九支箭来把它们一起折断。”

But this time Mu Liyan couldn’t make it despite all his efforts.

这时候，慕利延竭尽全力，怎么也折不断。

Thereupon, A’cai said meaningfully:

于是，阿豺意味深长地说:

“Do you know the reason behind? A single arrow can be easily broken, but assembled together, the arrows will be hard to destroy.

“你们知道其中的道理吗?单独一支容易折断，聚集在一起就很难被摧毁。

As long as you work in full cooperation and with unity¹ of purpose, our throne will be passed down from generation to generation.”

只要你们同心协力，我们的江山就可以一代一代地传下去。”