THE EIGHTEENTH CAMEL
Pic.: Azriel D'Souza
Years ago, when I had decided to do
something about my poor English, one of the things I did – and found very
effective – was telling a nice story in two tenses… the Present and the Past.
Over the years, I have helped hundreds of people, who were earnest about
improving their English, with the same method… Yes, write a nice story down in
both the tenses… and, then, tell it to someone…
Whenever I hear from
someone the famous management phrases – ‘Out-of-the-box thinking’ or ‘A win-win
solution’, yes, that’s the time, this endearing story comes before me. It makes
me realize, that, in life, very problem has a solution if we stand out of our
problems and see…
THE EIGHTEENTH CAMEL
PAST:
In the Arab land, there lived a man who had three sons. He
owned seventeen camels
which he wanted his three sons to inherit after his death. So, he made a Will
before he died.
After the death
of their father, the sons opened the Will. The father wanted one-half of the
total number of camels to the first son, one-third to the second and one-ninth
to the third. This left the three sons confused and fighting… There was no way
to divide the seventeen camels the way their father had willed… It unleashed a
prolonged, bitter conflict among the three sons…
Finally, they
took the matter to a wise-man, who, after mulling over their problem, came out
with a solution. “I will give one of my camels to you guys,” the wise man said
to them, “Now, you will be able to fulfill your father’s wish and stop
fighting.”
It, indeed,
resolved the conflict. When the young-men added the extra camel given by the
wise man, the total became eighteen… They could, now, divide. One-half was 9…
It went to the first son; one-third was six… It went the middle son; and,
one-ninth was two… It went to the last son.
“Are you all
happy, now?” the wise man asked.
“Yes, we are.”
The three sons
had shared their father’s seventeen camels exactly as per his Will. There was
one still left – the eighteenth camel… It hadn’t come from their father, they
knew it well; so, they could not fight over it…
“Let me take
back my camel,” the wise man said to the young-men, “I will take it as the fee
for my services… So, I, too, am happy!”
PRESENT:
In the Arab land, there lives a man who has three sons. He
owns seventeen camels which
he wants his three sons to inherit after his death. So, he makes a Will before
he dies.
After the death of
their father, the sons open the Will. The father wants one-half of the total
number of camels to the first son, one-third to the second and one-ninth to the
third. This leaves the three sons confused and fighting… There is no way to
divide the seventeen camels the way their father has will… It unleashes a
prolonged, bitter conflict among the three sons…
Finally, they take
the matter to a wise-man, who, after mulling over their problem, comes out with
a solution. “I will give one of my camels to you guys,” the wise-man says to
them, “Now, you will be able to fulfill your father’s wish and stop fighting.”
It, indeed,
resolves the conflict. When the young-men add the extra camel given by the
wise-man, the total becomes eighteen… They can, now, divide. One-half is 9… It goes
to the first son; one-third is six… It goes to the middle son; and, one-ninth is
two… It goes to the last son.
“Are you all
happy, now?” the wise-man asks.
“Yes, we are.”
The three sons
have shared their father’s seventeen camels exactly as per his Will. There is
one still left – the eighteenth camel… It hasn’t come from their father, they
know it well; so, they cannot fight over it…
“Let me take
back my camel,” the wise-man says to the young-men, “I will take it as the fee
for my services… So, I, too, am happy!”
GERALD D'CUNHA
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