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Page2
The
king cut the fruit into two halves and gave one to each wife. He did so to keep his vow
not to show partiality to either. Some time after they had partaken of the fruit, the
wives be came pregnant.
The delivery took place in due course; but in
stead of bringing the expected joy, it plunged them into greater grief than before, for
they each gave birth to but a half of a child-each half a monstrous birth which seemed a
revolting lump.
They were indeed two equal and complementary
portions of one baby, consisting of one eye, one leg, half a face, one ear and so on.
Seized with grief, they commanded their attendants to tie the gruesome pieces in a cloth
and cast them away.
The attendants did as they were instructed and
threw the cloth bundle on a heap of refuse in the street. A cannibal rakshasi chanced upon
that place. She was elated at seeing the two pieces of flesh and, as she gathered them up
both at once, accidently the halves came together the right way, and they at once adhered
together and changed into a whole living child, perfect in every detail.
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