The Ruby Prince is a South Asian folktale, first published in the late 19th century by author Flora Annie Steel.
The tale is a local form of the cycle of the Animal as Bridegroom or The Search for the Lost Husband, in that a woman marries a man of supernatural origin, loses him and must regain him.
[2][3] According to Richard Carnac Temple, the tale was collected by author Flora Annie Steel from a Jaṭṭ boy of Dobuldan in Rohtak district.
The dancing-woman tells her about a strange occurrence: while she was gathering sticks, she rested for a bit near a tree, after she woke up, she saw a bright light, then a sweeper came out of a snake-hole, a water-carrier sprinkling water on the ground, and two carpet-bearers; music began to play, as a procession came out of the hole, a youth of majestic appearance at the front, and among his retinue a man with a red star on the forehead who began to dance before the king.
The Snake-King fumes at her answer and threatens to kill her, but remembers his promise and lets her take the Ruby Prince away.
[6][7][8] The tale was classified by scholar Heda Jason [de] as type ATU 425, "The Search for the Lost Husband", according to the international Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index.
[11][12][13][a] R. C. Temple noted that the protagonist's name, in the original language, is written La’ljí, meaning either "ruby" or "beloved, cherished".
[16] In Thompson and Roberts's Types of Indic Oral Tales, this motif appears in Indic type 425D Ind, "Search for Serpent Husband": the heroine insists to know her husband's caste or name, and he, in return, gives her an answer, but vanishes in the water like a snake.
[17] Author M. N. Venkataswami collected an Indian tale from informant Sandhā (Puli) Abboy, from "Nagpur country".
Ten years later, princess Moothiam ("pearl") goes to the patashala to learn the Kalas ("arts"), and so does the woodcutter's son, named Manikkam.
After some years, the king thinks to himself that the princess has learned enough and decides to take her out of school so she can spend her days inside.
Shiva senses that the youth is the son of the king of serpents and gives the princess a vibhudikaya to apply on his body to revive him.
The next day, the fruit seller tries to convince the women to eat some of his plate, knowing that her son's nails contain poison - a stratagem that also fails.
Moothiam and people assemble near the sea-shore; Mannikam reveals he is the son of Nagaraja, turns into a large snake and dives into the sea, back to Nagaloka.
Moothiam swims after him, despite the force of the waves, and Manikkam, in snake form, catches his human wife and takes her to his father's garden.
[19] In a Hindustani folktale titled Hira and Lal, a poor grass-cutter ventures in the jungle to cut grass to sell.
After he is completely submerged, Lal becomes a giant black snake and slithers under the waves, leaving a bereft Hira crying at the river margin, and the tale ends.
[24] Professor Sadhana Naithani published a tale originally collected by William Crooke from a student in Jwálápur.
Twelve years later, they decide to marry the boy, named Prince Lal, to a girl "born of a diamond", but evil viziers kill the Rajá to usurp his kingdom.
The boy and the princess elope and ride two horses to regions unknown, and stop to rest at the house of a family of "free booters".
[25] In an Indian tale in the Magahi language collected by Ramprasad Singh [hi] with the title "लाल आउ हीरा" ("Lal and Heera"), a merchant loses his fortune when disaster strikes his country and he has to forage for wood in the forest to sell and earn his living.
As time passes, Lal and Heera fall in love, but their teacher reports them to the king, who decides to place them in separate schools.
Heera fetches water, which Mahade sprinkles over Lal's body, prickles his own finger and brings it to the youth's mouth, restoring him to life.
However, when he enters the store, the shopkeeper falls in love with him, douses a betel leaf with some magic and gives it to Lal, turning him into a sheep which she ties to a pole.
That same night, Heera and the princess witness the event, as Indra Maharaj and some fairies dance with Lal and enter the pond; the girls try to grab their co-husband before he vanishes with the dawn.
[26] Bengali writer and folklore researcher Dinesh Chandra Sen reported a "Muhammadam version" of Sakhi-sonā, collected from an informant named Muhammad Korban Ali, "an inhabitant of Butuni in the subdivision of Manikgani, Pergannah Sindurijan in the district of Dacca".
Sakhi-sonā and Manik escape, but, unknowingly, leave a trail of seeds for the seven daicots to follow - a trick by the old woman.
Meanwhile, Manik, in monkey form, writes letters to the palace, addressed to his beloved Sakhi-sonā, telling of his captivity in the flower-seller's power.
They climb a tree and see a retinue come out of the river: an ugly woman comes and begs for a man named Shohzodalal to dance before her.
Shohzodalal, safe at last, embraces Durbonu and returns with her to Nurbonu, then they pay a visit to the prince's adoptive human parents.