Schools
Two Mules
A fable for children based on a Quaker poster from 1933.
A story for children and young people this book about co–operation is now available for purchase.
To order please complete the order form by clicking the link below. Schools and organisations can email a purchase order to finance@corrymeela.org
Click >>here<< to order
From the back cover:
TWO MULES
The well–known Quaker poster with the message of “Co–operation is better than conflict” features a picture fable of two tethered mules who struggle to reach separate piles of hay in a field and eventually recognise that to get to their food they need to co–operate. The poster often includes the words “A fable for the Nations”, but it clearly applies to many different levels of human activity.
Having used the poster and its themes regularly with children and young people in various settings, especially in cross–community activities in Northern Ireland, the authors here present the Mules fable in the form of an illustrated story and a song. The quarrelling children in the story have to learn the lesson that “We’ve got to pull together” and that it’s “no use pulling apart”! The story is followed by suggestions for activities designed to encourage skills in co–operation.
Norman Richardson and Yvonne Naylor are both members of the Corrymeela Community, Northern Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation organisation, and profits from the sale of this publication will be donated to Corrymeela to support their continuing work with a wide range of groups and individuals.
Additional resources are available for download with more to come, including a recording of the Two Mules Song (The Co–operation song).
Sermon from Coventry Cathedral 16 March 2025
The Leader of the Community preached at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Coventry for Corrymeela Sunday.
Two Mules – Additional Resources
More follow–up activities for teachers, parents and others
The Co–operation Song: recording
About the Co–operation Song
Joined Up: Developing Good Relations in the School Community
Joined Up was produced by Corrymeela and the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education in 2005.
This resource was developed to support educators, enabling them to feel more confident in exploring controversial issues and fostering good relations within their school communities. It provides teachers, teacher educators, and school leaders with guidance on developing active learning approaches to navigate difficult classroom conversations, whether these involve identity, division, or diversity.
Joined Up is a process–led resource. While it includes key activities that can be implemented in the classroom, its primary focus is on building the skills and confidence of educators. It empowers them to respond to specific classroom needs or to address ethos and culture development across the whole school