The story revolves around a poor priest who, struggling to make ends meet, leaves his village to tell religious tales for food. In a village called Nauraang, he gains popularity and earns a small income, but encounters a miserly merchant who overhears a divine conversation and tries to exploit the situation for profit. After a series of events involving the merchant's greed, a deity's intervention, and the priest's cleverness, the priest cleverly tricks four thieves who attempt to rob him at his home. Instead of losing his money, the priest outsmarts the thieves, ultimately leading to their downfall. The tale concludes with an unexpected twist, involving a beggar and a washerman, showcasing the consequences of greed and the cleverness of the priest. The narrative emphasizes themes of cunningness, justice, and the unexpected turns of fate.

एगो बड़ी गरीब पंडी जी हलन। ऊ केतनो कमाथ तइयो उनका पेट न भरे। जोत-जमीन हल, जेकरा में पैदे न हो हले। एक दिन पड़िआइन कहलन कि कहीं जा के कथा-पुरान कह तो खाय-पीये के मिल जतवऽ । ई सुन के पंडी जी पोथी-पतरा लेके घर से परदेस निकललन । जाइत-जाइत नौरंग देस पहुँचलन । ऊ गाँव के पूरब भर देवस्थान हले। उहँईं बइठ के ऊ देवी भागवत कहे लगलन। चरहवन सुनलन आउ आरती में पंडी जी के चार गो पइसा पड़ गेल ।

दोसर दिन चरवहवन गाँव में जा के हल्ला कर देलन कि एगो पंडी जी अलथिन हे, से बड़ा बढ़िया कथा कहऽ हथिन । दोसर दिन से बड़ी मानी लोग कथा सुने आवे लगलन । ओही गाँव में एगो कंजूस बनिया हले। ओकरा चमड़ी जाय, बाकि दमड़ी न जाय के खेयाल बराबर रहऽ हल । एक दिन ऊ बनिवाँ भोरे मैदान गेल हल, तो पार्वती के महादे(व) जी से पूछइत सुनलक कि बाबा जी के केतना मिलतइन। तब मंदिर में महादे(व) जी पार्वती जी से कहलकथिन कि एक हजार अइसे, आउ दू सौ आरती में। ई सब बात बनियाँ सुनलक, आउ जा के पंडी जी से पाँच सौ में ठीका करा लेलक ।

पंडी जी सोचलन कि पाँच सौ मिलत कि तो न मिलत, हमरा पहिलहीं मिल तो जाइत हे । कथा-पूजा होइत-होइत पूर्णाहुति के दिन आएल। ऊ दिन बड़ी लोग जुटलन । बनिवाँ खूब ठाट में जाके आगहीं बइठ गेल। जब पूजा हो गेल, तो दछिना में कउन कहे, आरती में भी कुछो न परल । उहाँ से बनिवाँ चल के महादे(व) जी के मंदिर में जाके एक लात जमौलक कि ओकर लतिया उहईं सट गेल। अन्हारे हल्ला भेल कि महासेठ जी के लाती महादे(व) जी में सटल हे। देखताहर लोग जुटलन आउ बनिवाँ के मेहररुआ आयल आउ महादे(व) जी के गोड़ लाग के कहलक कि छोड़ दऽ। महादे(व) जी कहकथिन कि ''पांच सौ देले हें, आउ सात सौ जा के पंडी जी के दे आव तो छोड़वउ।'' ई सुन के मेहररुआ घरे गेल आउ सात सौ रुपया घरे से लान के पंडी जी के दे देलक। फिनो महादे(व) जी भी गेल, आउ कहलक कि हम रुपेया दे देली हे, तऽ महादे जी छोड़ देलन।

पंडी जी पोथी पतरा बान्ह के घरे चललन । राह में चार गो चोर लग गेलन। ओहनी पूछलक कि 'डी जी, ई कउची हवऽ? दऽ, ले-ले चलिवऽ!'' पंडी जी कहलन कि कुछो न हेऽ । तऽ चोरवन कहलक कि देखऽ बोंग ! पंडी जी डर के मारे मोटरी देऽ देलन । चोरवन पूछकई कि तोर कहाँ घर हवऽ? पंडी जी के घर नजीके हल, बाकि कहलन कि बड़ी दूर हे, से इहईं रह जाय के चाहीं । ऊ एगो जजमान के बहाना कर के अपन घरे चल गेलन। चोरवन सोचलक कि अन्हारे इनका जजमान ही से आउ मिलत तो आगे चल के छीन लेव। आउ आज रात के इहईं खयबो करब । पंडी जी चोरवन के अप्पन दूरा पर बइठा के कहलन कि हम मोटरिया जजमान हीं रख देइत हीवऽ, आउ घरे रख के अयलन आउ कहलन कि ''अब तोहनी जाईं जा, हम घरे पहुँच गेली!''

चोरवन अपने में विचार कयलक कि पंडितवा हमनी के खूब छकौलकउ, से आज रात में चोरा लेवे के चाहीं । ओहनी पंडिताइन से पंडी जी के बतिआइत सुनलक कि आज जे कमा के लौली हे, से पिछुत्ती गनउरवा में गाड़ देली हे। चोरवन रात भर में सब गनौरा फेंक देलन बाकि धन न मिलल । चोरवन कहलक कि पंडितवा आजो छकौलकउ, से अच्छे कल सार के ठीक कर देवे के चाहीं । रात में फिनो पंडी जी कहलन कि चोर-चुहाड़ के डर से सब धन के खढ़ी में नीम के पेड़ में लवनी में टाँग देली हे। चोर सुन के रात में पेड़ पर चढ़ल तो उहाँ हड्डा खोता लगौले हलऽ। ओहनी अन्हार में हबक-हबक के पकड़लक, तो बिरनी लपटा गेल । गिरइत-परइत सब भागलक। चोरवन सोचलक कि पंडी जी हमनी के नीमन छकावइत हथुन । आज रात के उनकर गोड़ तोड़ दे ही !

पंडी जी कहलन कि आज लोटा में में रख के सब धन कुआँ में डाल देली हे। चोरवन सुन के रात में ऊ कुआँ में हेल गेलन। एने पंडी जी आउ पंडिताइन, दूनो मार ईंटा के चोरवन सब के कुएँ में जान मार देलन। दिन भर उहईं छोड़ देलन। साँझ के एगो भिखारी भीख माँगे आयल, तो बाबा जी कहलन कि पाँच रुपेया देबवऽ, आउ खिला भी देबवऽ से एगो हमर काम कर दऽ । रात सून हो गेल तो बाबा जी कुआँ में से मुरदा निकाल के देलन । भिखारी फेंक आयल । तब तक दूसरका भी निकाल के रख देलन आउ कहलन कि कइसे फेंकलऽ कि फिनो चल अयलवऽ । ऊ फिनो दोसर मुरदा ले के दोसर दने फेंक आयल । तब तक बाबा जी तेसरका के निकाल के धर देलन आउ भिखारी के अयला पर कहलन कि ईं फिनो भाग अयलवऽ। तेसरका मुरदा के बारे में कहलन कि अबरी एकरा केतारी के मूँढ़ा में बाँध दिहँऽ । ओकरा बाद चौथा मुरदा निकाल के बाबाजी ओकरा में केतारी बान्ह देलन आउ भिखारी के अयला पर कहलन कि कइसे बान्हल कि मूँढ़े कुबार के भाग अलवऽ। अबरी बाबा जी कहलन कि जब भागे लगतवऽ, तो अबरी बाँड़ी ले-ले जा, बँड़वठ दिहँऽ । एकरा ले जाके भिखारी रहर के खेत में दक्खिन दने फेंकलन आउ खड़ा हलन कि एगो धोबी दीसा फीर के आवइत हले। ओकरे लौट के आवइत मुरदा समझ के ऊ मार डंटा के ओकरा जान से मार देलक। ओकरा मरल देख भिखारी डर गेल, आउ फिनो बाबाजी ही न गेल आउ अपनो समान छोड़ के भाग गेल ।

See translation

Once, there was a very poor priest. No matter how much he worked, he could not fill his belly. He had a piece of land to cultivate, but it didn't yield any produce. One day, a local said to him, "Go somewhere and narrate stories, then you will get some food and drink." Hearing this, the priest took his books and left home for a distant place. While on his way, he reached a place called Nauraang. There was a temple on the east side of the village. Sitting there, he began to tell the tales of the goddess. The villagers listened, and during the arati (ceremonial worship), the priest earned four paise.

The next day, the villagers spread the word that a priest was in the village who had a very good narrative style. From the following day, many respectable people started coming to listen to his stories. In that same village, there was a miserly merchant. He would think twice before spending even a penny. One day, while going to the fields in the early morning, he overheard Parvati asking Mahadev how much they would earn. Inside the temple, Mahadev told Parvati that they earned a thousand, plus two hundred during the arati. The merchant heard all this and then went and settled with the priest for five hundred.

The priest thought that whether he would receive the five hundred or not, at least he would be able to get something. The day of the conclusion of the storytelling and worship came, and many people gathered. The merchant went to the function with much fanfare and sat at the front. Once the worship was done, no one could be seen offering anything, not even in the arati. From there, the merchant went to Mahadev's temple and kicked the deity's idol so hard that it cracked. There was a commotion as everyone saw that the merchant's foot had struck the idol. Onlookers gathered, and the merchant's wife came and pleaded with Mahadev to let him go. Mahadev said, "He has given five hundred, and if you bring seven hundred for the priest, then I will let him go." Hearing this, the wife went home and brought back seven hundred rupees for the priest. After that, Mahadev also left, saying that since the money had been given, he would release him.

The priest tied his books and started to return home. On the way, he encountered four thieves. They asked him, "Hey priest, what do you have? Hand it over!" The priest replied that he had nothing. The thieves then said, "Don't try to fool us!" Scared, the priest handed them his possessions. The thieves asked him where his home was. The priest's home was nearby, but he claimed it was far away and said he would like to stay here. He made an excuse about a patron and went home.

The thieves thought that if the priest met his patron nearby, they would take everything from him later on. They decided to stay there for dinner that night. The priest seated the thieves on his doorstep and told them, "I will keep my items with the patron, and then I will return home with them. You all can go now; I have reached home!"

The thieves considered the priest had tricked them and decided to steal from him that night. They overheard the priest telling his wife that he had hidden all the money in a neem tree at their house to protect it from thieves. Hearing this, the thieves climbed the tree that night and ended up getting stuck in its branches. In the darkness, they struggled and got tangled in the tree. As they fell, they all fled in fear. The thieves realized that the priest was very clever in tricking them. They decided that tonight they would break his legs!

The priest said he had hidden all the money in a pot in the well. Upon hearing this, the thieves rushed to the well. Meanwhile, the priest and his wife secretly threw all the thieves into the well. They left them there for the entire day. In the evening, a beggar came asking for alms. The priest told him, "I will give you five rupees and feed you if you do a little work for me." When the night became quiet, the priest started pulling out the dead bodies from the well. The beggar was shocked when he saw and threw one away. By then, the priest had already pulled out the second body and said to the beggar, "Look, here's another, you can throw it away." The beggar threw another body, and by the time the priest pulled out the third body, he warned the beggar not to discard it recklessly. He then bound the last body and told the beggar to tie it properly because it must be disposed of carefully. After that, he tied the fourth body and warned the beggar about it as well.

The beggar, terrified, took the bodies and threw them into the fields. As he stood there, a washerman passing by mistook the corpse for someone alive and beat it, thinking it was a wrongdoer. When he realized he had killed a dead body, the beggar got scared and ran away, leaving all his belongings behind.