The Two Brothers and The Seven Bananas

Two brothers had lost their father in a fatal accident that deformed him before he passed on. They had been willed seven bananas and an estate. Their father had instructed that for the will on the estate to be executed, the brothers needed to share these bananas peaceful first.

So the brothers decided to share the bananas into two halves. They both got three each but there was one left. First they kept measuring to be sure the sizes of the first six were exactly the same, then the sharing of this extra one which started off as mere debate, soon built up into a full blown argument and then a fight with each one wading a knife.

Their uncles at first thought the younger should have left it for the older, the mothers thought the older should leave it for the younger but no one dared to tell them as the community’s wealth was in their care and no one wanted to lose any favours especially the farmers.
Things soon turned toxically sour that the least in the kingdom had to call in an arbitrator from a strange land; one who knew their father.

He listened to their story and asked for the banana in dispute, it was handed to him, seeing it’s size and value asked for all seven. Again he asked them to show him the one in dispute. Not too sure any more they asked him to take any which he did, raised it up and said since this is in dispute let us put it away. The brothers agreed and soon he began to eat it as he handed them the six to share again. They could not agree on what to do with the smallest one, again he collected it, said the same thing and ate it.
As they continued to argue and fight he kept eating the bananas one after the other until the brothers had no more bananas and as they could not share the bananas peacefully they lost the estate too to the arbitrator.

It was too late for the brothers but the villagers learnt not to fight.