A man bought cloth at the market for his three wives loaded on nine camels: one bundle on the first camel, two on the second, and so on. How can he divide the cloth equally when he gets home without unloading the camels?
Give the first camel to the first wife, second to the second, third to the third.
Then the fourth camel to the second, the fifth to the third, and the sixth to the first.
Then the seventh to the third, the eighth to the first, and the ninth to the second.
Each wife received her fifteen bundles!
Inspired by: "A Tale Resembling a Riddle in Figures" in Tales, Customs, Names, and Dirges of the Tigre Tribes by Enno Littmann, 1915.
Notes: You can read the original story online.
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