The story of the eighteenth camel

A wealthy Arab, on his death bed, left his 17 camels to his three sons. The eldest was to have one half of the camels, the next one third, and the youngest one ninth. After much deliberation the three sons could not work out how to divide the camels without calling in the butcher.

They sought the advice of an old friend, who promised to help. He arrived at their home with a camel of his own, which he added to the 17, and then asked the sons to make their choices. The eldest took one half (9), the second took one third (6), and the youngest took one ninth (2). When all 17 original camels had been chosen, the old friend took his own camel back.

The catch is in the father’s terms. The fractions do not add up to one but to seventeen eighteenths.

When the hours just don’t add up contact the eighteenth camel…