This is not really polyglot quine (because the original program is only valid ruby).

It seems more like an -almost- multi quine. (The original program produces other programs that eventually reproduce the original ruby program), it is not a "real" multi quine either because it cannot reproduce itself without going through the intermediate programs...

Still interesting nonetheless :-)

The following page gives a lucid explanation of how to make quines (including multi-quines):

http://www.madore.org/~david/computers/quine.html

I've heard this kind of quine called an "ouroboros program". This one goes through 11 generations it is said:

http://asiajin.com/blog/2009/09/22/uroboros-programming-with...

ku-ma-me's stuff are getting hugely popular on HN lately. Well done rubyists.