Finding Your 18th Camel

Finding Your 18th Camel Years ago, a merchant know for his sagacity was traveling through the desert to his home town. He chanced upon an oasis where other travellers had gathered and turned his camel toward it, in order that the beast might be watered and fed. Upon arrival, however, he found the other travellers were in a frenzied state. It turned out that they were members of the same family, returning from burying the patriarch. This sheik had three sons, and it was clear that the eldest was angry at the youngest two and they were angry in turn with each other. When the merchant enquired what was going on, one of the late sheik’s wives told him that the sons had only just heard what was in their father’s will. The man’s fortune consisted of the camels tied up at the oasis, and he had apportioned them thusly: half of the camels were to go to the eldest son, a third to the middle boy, and a ninth of them to the youngest (who was not his father’s favorite.) Unfortunatel