The moral, explained
Three friends went out to eat. Grub ordered a whole leg, three fish and all the berries. Ochra ordered one leaf. Oog ordered one berry. Then the bill came, and Grub said the sentence: let's split it equally. Everyone paid the same. Next moon, Oog tried the trick himself. He ate everything and said the sentence. Grub and Ochra paid for one berry each, and left. Oog paid the rest with his clothes.
Splitting the bill equally is fair when everyone ordered about the same, and it's quick, which is why it's popular. It stops being fair when one person orders the steak and two people order a salad. The person who suggests splitting is very often the one who ordered the most, and the people who ordered the least often say nothing, because arguing over a few coins feels petty. So the cheapest eaters quietly pay for the hungriest.
The twist in the story is that Grub isn't the villain he looks like. He knows the rule works both ways. Oog only learned half of it.
Try this today
Next time you eat out with friends, say it at the start, while it's easy: "Shall we each pay for what we order?" Most bill-splitting apps can do it in a minute. If you're the one who ordered the most, offer first.
Talk about it
Split equally or pay for what you ate? Which friend in your group always says the sentence?
