A Raja with seven daughters faces challenges after marrying a cunning widow who becomes their cruel stepmother. The youngest daughter, Balna, warns her sisters against sharing their resources with the widow, who secretly sabotages their meals. The Raja, unaware of the widow's deceit, eventually marries her. The stepmother mistreats the princesses, leading them to a magical pomelo tree that grows from their mother's grave, providing them sustenance. When the stepmother discovers this, she destroys the tree, but the princesses find a tank that produces nourishing cream. The stepmother, frustrated by the princesses' continued well-being, plots to kill them, convincing the Raja to abandon them in the jungle instead. The princesses are discovered by seven princes, who each marry one of them. Balna's husband goes missing, prompting her son to search for his parents. He learns of a powerful magician, Punchkin, who has imprisoned his family. Disguised as a girl, the son befriends the magician's captive mother, Balna, and devises a plan to rescue his family. He learns that Punchkin's life depends on a parrot hidden in a distant jungle. With the help of two eagles he saves, he retrieves the parrot, bargaining for his family's release. The magician, desperate to reclaim the parrot, is ultimately defeated when the prince destroys it, leading to Punchkin's demise. Balna, her son, and the seven princes reunite and return to their kingdom, living happily ever after. The story emphasizes themes of resilience, cleverness, and the triumph of good over evil.
By Joseph Jacobs · First published 1890 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Adventure