17 Camels and 3 Sons

A long time ago, an old man lived near a desert with his three sons. He had 17 camels, which he rented to transport goods. The camels were his only income.

One day, the old man died. After his funeral, his sons read his will.

He had written:

  • The eldest son should get 1/2 of the camels
  • The middle son should get 1/3 of the camels
  • The youngest son should get 1/9 of the camels

The sons were confused. How could they divide 17 camels like this?

  • 1/2 of 17 = 8.5 camels
  • 1/3 of 17 = 5.67 camels
  • 1/9 of 17 = 1.89 camels

But camels cannot be cut in pieces!

They didn’t know what to do. So, they went to a wise man for help.

The wise man listened carefully and said,
“Let me help you. I’ll add one of my own camels to your 17. Now you have 18 camels.”

Then he divided them:

  • The eldest son got 1/2 of 18 = 9 camels
  • The middle son got 1/3 of 18 = 6 camels
  • The youngest son got 1/9 of 18 = 2 camels

Now the total was: 9 + 6 + 2 = 17 camels

The one camel that the wise man added was left over, so he took it back.

The problem was solved, and all the sons were happy.

Moral of the Story

Every problem has a solution.
Sometimes, you just need to think smart and find a new way.

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