The Ruby Prince (Punjabi folktale)
Sakhi-sonā
#### Sakhi\-sonā

[Bengali](/wiki/Bengalis "Bengalis") writer and folklore researcher [Dinesh Chandra Sen](/wiki/Dinesh_Chandra_Sen "Dinesh Chandra Sen") reported a "Muhammadam version" of *Sakhi\-sonā*, collected from an informant named Muhammad Korban Ali. In this tale, in Taef, a poor man named Syed lives with his nagging wife. Intent on getting rid of her, he finds a poisonous cobra, places it into an earthen pot and brings it home. Syed gives the pot to his wife. Late at night, the man's wife opens up the pot and finds not a cobra, but gold coins. Syed's wife is very pleased, and Syed lies that he earned them with his good work. His wife goes to the local [Badsha](/wiki/Badsha "Badsha") and sells the gold coins to the [Begum](/wiki/Begum "Begum") for a 1,000 rupees. The Begum keeps the coins in a safe and goes to show her husband the next day, but, instead of the coins, they find a baby girl. The Badsha and the Begum announce they have a daughter, and a great celebration is held in their homage. At the same time, the Uzir's household also celebrates the birth of their son, whom they name Mānik.

The Badsha and Begum's daughter, called Sakhi\-sonā, is prophesied to elope with a man after she reaches womanhood. She and the Manik read in the same Mokhtab, and grow to love each other as they grow up. They begin to meet in secret, until a maidservant warns them they might be discovered, so they need to escape. Sakhi\-sonā disguises herself in masculine attire and, joined by Manik, flees from their city. The pair rides far away through the jungle until they reach a cottage that belongs to an old woman, who is the mother of seven *dacoits*.

A servant of the old woman warns the pair that the old woman's seven sons will come home ro rob them. Sakhi\-sonā and Manik escape, but, unknowingly, leave a trail of seeds for the seven daicots to follow \- a trick by the old woman. The seven daicots follow the pair, intent on attacking them. Manik kills six of the daicots, but spares the seventh, a lame one, and takes him in as their horse\-keeper.

However, the seventh daicot begins to harbour feelings towards Sakhi\-sonā, and plots to kill Manik. He seizes the opportunity when Manik is asleep and Sakhi\-sonā is doing some chores in the kitchen. The daicot beheads Manik and Sakhi\-sonā avenges him by killing the daicot. Sakhi\-sonā cries over her loss, and a *pir* (saint) revives him.

Sakhi\-sonā and a resurrected Manik pass by the cottage of a flower\-seller named Champa, who, in turn, falls in love with Manik and turns him into a monkey to have him for herself. Sakhi\-sonā notice his absence, but journeys on to another city with their horses. Some of the royal guards arrests Sakhi\-sonā, thinking she is the thief that stole two horses some time before.

Sakhi\-sonā is thrown in prison, while a giant snake appears to threaten the city. In her dreams, a *pir* appears and reveals the snake's weakness. Sakhi\-sonā tells the king she can defeat the serpent. The king releases her from prison, and she kills the serpent. In gratitude, the king marries Sakhi\-sonā to his daughter. The king's daughter, however, suspects something amiss with her "husband". 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. Sakhi\-sonā asks the king to buy her the monkey from the flower\-seller. At night, the monkey turns back into Manik and tells her everything. The king punishes the flower seller, and marries his daughter to Manik, after learning that Sakhi\-sonā is a woman. Manik lives with his two wives.


Where do Sakhi-sona and Manik pass by on their journey?