Source of the story

[Ashok Aklujkar]

van Buitenen, J.A.B. Tales of Ancient India. Univ of Chicago, story titled
"Mahosadha's judgment" The jaataka source on which this translation is
based is, as I recall, specified by van Buitenen.

>Recently one of my collegues showed me a comic book version of the story
>in which two women who were fighting over a child were brought to the
>court of King Solomon. Each woman claimed to be the mother of the child.
>King Solomon gave his decision that the child may be cut in two and each
>woman be given her half. One of the women immediately said that she did
>not want her share. She would rather the other woman have the baby all to
>herself. At this point there was no doubt which of the women was the
>child's mother really.
>
>Scholars believe that this story may have come to the Near Eastern Canon
>from the east, India in particular.
>
>In the Shii Islamic canon, I have read a similar story, however, in that
>version, Hazrat Ali was the judge instead of King Salomon.
>
>I also remember this story from Ramanujan's 'Folk Tales of India'. Can
>anyone tell me what may be the origin of this tale? Thanks.
>
>Naseem A. Hines
>Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures
>Washington University
>St. Louis, MO.