So You Think You Can Divide!

There was once an old man who had three sons and saventeen camels. The sons were called Hameed, Naeem and Rafiq. The father was getting very old and one day he called his sons together and said, 'Boys, I am old and one of these days I will die. When I am gone please promise me that you won't quarrel over my camels. I want you to divide the camels in this way. Hameed, you are the oldest and you must have half the camels. Naeem, You are the second and you must take a third. Rafiq will get a ninth.'  

       The boys promised not to quarrel but do exactly as their father had commanded. A few days later when the father died, the boys arranged the funderal and when that was over they got down to the business of sharing the camels.Hameed, the eldest boy, said, 'Father wanted me to have half the camels, but half of seveteen is eight and a half. How can I take half a camel? The best idea would be for me to take nine camels and you two can share the rest.' 

        The others did not agree. Naeem said, 'You are already getting the biggest share. Why should you get half a camel more? It's best that you take eight.' Hameed said that it was a good idea but it was not according to their father's wish. The youngest, Rafiq, interrupted: 'How about selling one camel and then dividing the money?' The other two did not agree to this suggestion. 'Then what about killing one camel and feeding the village in memory of our father?' asked Rafiq.

         'What!' shouted Hameed, 'waste a good camel by feeding the whole village? you most be crazy!' The argument went an and on. Every time one of the sons made a suggestion, the other two disagree with it. Their voices got louder and louder; their faces got redder and redder and there was much stamping of feet and shaking of fists. When the argument was at its height, a man came by leading a camel by a rope. The man was a holy man who happened to be passing by. 

           'Now, my brother,' said the holy man, 'I' m sorry to inerrupt your discussion but can I be of any help? It is not very good to fight and shout at each other; you may burst a blood vessel.' Well Holy man, ' said Hameed, 'We are quarrelling over the inheritance that was bequeathed to us by our father.

       

We did not mean to quarrel but there doesn't seem to be a solution to our problem. The holy man  listened to their story. When they had told him the story, he smiled and said, 'Here, take my camel and see how that will help in your sharing, We can't do that, ' replied the brothers. 'It's very kind of you, but you must not give up your camel.  The holy man smiled kindly. 'No, no, please take it. if God will, I shall not be the poorer for it.' He gave them the camel. With the holy man's camel there were now eighteen camels. Hameed took His share of half that was nine camels; Naeem took a third that was six camels; and Rafiq took a ninth that was two camels. Suddenly the brothers stood quite still. They were struck with amazement for there, standing by itself, was the holy man's camel. The holy man bent down and took up the rope which was tied to his camel. ' You see, my friends,' he said softly, 'there is no need to quarrel. Everything can be settled in a friendly manner if we try.' He waved goodbye and went on this way.