Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/47 - The Quarrelsome Children

Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $47$

The Quarrelsome Children

A man married a widow, and they each already had children.

Ten years later there was a pitched battle engaging the present family of $12$ children.

The mother ran to the father and cried,

"Come at once! Your children and my children are fighting our children!"

As the parents now had each nine children of their own, how many were born during the ten years?

Sources

• 1932: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Puzzles and Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Age and Kinship Puzzles: $47$. -- The Quarrelsome Children
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Miscellaneous Puzzles: $184$. The Quarrelsome Children