[247.] An Arab Sheik, when departing this life, left the whole of his property to his three sons. The property consisted of 17 camels, and in dividing it the following proportions were to be observed:—
The oldest son was to have one-half of the camels, the second son one-third, and the youngest son one-ninth; but it was provided that the camels were not, on any account, to be injured, but to be divided as they were—living—between the three sons.
Thereupon, a great argument ensued. The eldest son claimed 8½ camels. The second insisted upon receiving 5⅔ of a camel; while the youngest son would not be comforted with less than 1 8⁄9 of a camel. The Cadi (or Judge) happened to appear on the scene. To him the matter was explained. Without a moment’s hesitation he gave his decision—a decision by which the claims of all three contestants were fully satisfied.
How did the Cadi settle this knotty question?
[248.] A grocer has 6 weights—each one twice as much as the one before it in size. If he weighed the first five against the largest, it (the largest) would only be 2 lbs. heavier than the combined weights of the rest. What are the weights?
[249.] A squatter said to a new manager, whom he wished to test in arithmetic: “I have as many pigs as I have cattle and horses, and if I had twice as many horses I should then have as many horses as cattle, and I should also have 13 more cattle and horses than pigs.” How many of each had he?