The story revolves around Bhola, a fisherman who raises his granddaughter Surupa after the death of his son and daughter-in-law. Surupa catches the eye of a prince while playing by the sea, leading to a secret romance. When the king disapproves of their relationship and demands dowry for the marriage, Bhola seeks help from Goddess Kali and discovers a hidden treasure of pearls. However, the king plots to steal the pearls, and on the wedding day, they seem to have vanished. In a desperate attempt to find a pearl for the dowry, Bhola, Surupa, and the prince dive into the sea, where they encounter a crocodile. The prince rescues them, and they find the precious pearl. Ultimately, Bhola presents the pearl to the king, allowing Surupa to marry the prince, and everyone lives happily ever after, thanks to the blessings of Goddess Kali.

गंडक पार एगो मछुआ के गाँव हल, जेकरा में भोला नाम के मछुआरा रहऽ हल । ऊ समुन्दर से मछरी मार के खा-पीअऽ हल। कभी-कभी मोती भी मिल जाय, तो ऊ काली माई के बरदान समझऽ हल। भोला बूढ़ा भेल तो तीरथ करे जाय लगल, बाकि ओकर बेटा रोक देलकइन। एक तुरी बेटा समुन्दर में गोता लगौलक, तो ऊ फिन कहिनो नऽ निकलल। भोला रो-धो के संतोख कैलक।

कुछ दिन के बाद ओकर मसोमात पुतोह से एगो पोती भेलई, आउ पुतोहियो मर गेलई। भोला बेचारा टुअर पोती के पोसे-पाले लगल। नाव पर ले जा के पोती के सुता देवे, आउ अपने समुन्दर में डुबकी लगा के मछरी-मोती निकाले। ई तरी गते-गते पोती कुछ सेयान भेलई, तो ऊ दादा के काम में मदद करे लगल। अइसेहीं काम चलइत हल।

एक रोज भोला के पोती सुरूपा समुन्दर किनारे खेलइत हल, तो एगो राजकुमार के नजर ओकरा पर परल। ऊ ओकरा देख के मोहित हो गेल, आउ मन में ठान लेलक, कि हम बिआह करब तो एकरे से। से एक दिन राजकुमार समुन्दर किनारे एगो पेड़ पर जा के बइठ रहल। नीचे सुरूपा समुन्दर में बंसी बझावइत हल। जब ऊ बंसी के कस के पानी से तीरलक आउ ऊपरे फेंकलक, तो पेड़ पर बइठल राजकुमार के धोती में बझ गेल। नीचे से सुरूपा खींच रहल हे, बाकि बंसी खींचाइते नऽ हल। जब कस के झिट्टी दे के खींचलक, तो राजकुमार के धोती के एगो टुकड़ा बंसी के साथे खींचायल चल आयल। सुरूपा देखलक तो राजकुमार रोके लगलन। ऊ डर के मारे भागल।

ई तरी सुरूपा आउ राजकुमार के मेल-जोल हो जायल करे। राजा के ई बात मालूम भेल, तो ऊ समुन्दर से मोती निकाले ला बंद करा देलन। मछुआरा के मुखिया राजा भिर फरियाद ले के गेल, बाकि कोई फायदा नऽ भेल, से मुखिया कहलक कि हमनी के मोती निकाले ला बंद कैल गेल हे, मछरी मारे ला नऽ! से बस ओहनी मछरी मार के खाय-पीये लगलन।

एक रोज सुरूपा मछली ला जाल डालले हल, कि राजा के सिपाही जाके ओकरा तंग करे लगलन, तो राजकुमार जाके सिपहियन के दू-चार हाथ देलन, आउ भगा देलन। अब हल्ला भेल कि राजकुमार सुरूपा से परेम करऽ हथ। राजा के भी ई बात मालूम भे गेल। एक रोज भोला राजा भिरू जा के सुरूपा के सादी ला कहलक, तो राजा बिगड़ के भूत हो गेलन। सब लोग के कहला पर राजा तइयार भेलन, आउ अप्पन सरत सुनौलन- 'हमरा राजा नियन दान-दहेज-पोसाक देवे परतो, आउ वसंत के इज्जत करे परतो!'

भोला काली माई के भरोसे सब कुछ गछ लेलक। माई के गोहरा के समुन्दर भिरू गेल, आउ डुबकी मारलक। जब नीचे माटी भिरू गेल, तो ओकरा मोती के खजाना मिलल, जेकरा ले के ऊ ऊपरे निकल आयल। ढेर मोती बेच के सब समान खरीदलक, आउ एगो अनमोल मोती राजा के दहेज में देबे ला रख लेलक।

सादी के दिन नजदीक आयल तऽ राजा सोचलन कि मछुअरवा के मोतिये चोरा लेल जाय, तो बिआह कइसे करे ला तइयार होयत। से ऊ मोती चोरवा के समुन्दर में फेंकवा देलन। ठीक दिन पर राजा बराती ले के भोला हीं पहुँचलन, आउ दरवाजा लगे के तइयारी भेल, तो राजा अनमोल मोती माँगलन। बाकि मोती रहो तब नऽ । राजा सब के हुकुम देलन कि बराती लौट जाय। ई सुन के भोला बड़ा परसान भेल, आउ दोसर मोती के खोज में समुन्दर दने दउड़ल। ओकरा पाछे ओकर लड़की भी दउड़ल, सेकरा पाछे राजकुमार भी दउड़लन।

भोला समुन्दर भिरू जा के चभाक से कूद गेल। सेकरा पीछे सुरूपा भी कूद गेल। ई देख के राजकुमार भी समुन्दर में कूद गेलन। राजकुमार पानी के भीतरे देखइत हथ, कि भोला आउ सुरूपा के एगो घड़ियाल पकड़ले हे। संयोग से राजकुमार के एगो नाव के लंगड़ हाथ लगल, जेके घड़ियाल के आँख में ऊ भोंक देलन। घड़ियाल घबड़ा के भाग चलल। भोला के अनमोल मोती मिल गेल, जेकरा राजा समुन्दर में फेंकवा देलन हल। फिन तीनों पानी से ऊपरे अयलन। भोला दहेज में राजा के अनमोल मोती के सुरूपा के सौंप देलन। राजकुमार सुरूपा के साथे घरे आन के खुसी से रहे लगलन। काली माई के किरपा से सब के इच्छा पूरन भेल।

See translation

There was a village across the Gandak river where a fisherman named Bhola lived. He caught fish from the sea for food and sometimes found pearls, which he considered a blessing from the Goddess Kali. As Bhola grew old, he started going on pilgrimages, but his son stopped him from doing so. One day, Bhola's only son dived into the sea and did not resurface. Bhola cried and accepted his fate.

A few days later, Bhola's daughter-in-law gave birth to a granddaughter, but sadly, the daughter-in-law passed away. Poor Bhola took it upon himself to raise the child. He would carry her on his boat to put her to sleep and would dive into the sea to catch fish and pearls. As the girl grew a little older, she began to help her grandfather with his work. Thus, life went on.

One day, Bhola's granddaughter Surupa was playing by the sea when a prince noticed her. He was enchanted by her beauty and decided that he would marry her. One day, the prince sat atop a tree by the sea while Surupa was playing with her fishing rod in the water. As she reeled in her line and threw it back, it got caught on the prince's dhoti (traditional garment). Surupa tugged from below, but the line wouldn’t budge. When she pulled harder, a piece of the prince's dhoti came away with the line. Seeing this, Surupa became frightened and ran away.

Thus began the secret meetings between Surupa and the prince. When the king learned about this, he ordered that the fishermen be stopped from collecting pearls from the sea. The chief of the fishermen went to the king to plead, but it was of no use; he was told that they could not collect pearls, but could continue fishing! So, the fishermen only managed to fish for their own meals.

One day, when Surupa was casting her net to catch fish, the king's soldiers came and started troubling her. The prince intervened, fought off the soldiers, and sent them away. News spread that the prince was in love with Surupa. The king soon found out about this. One day, Bhola went to the king to propose for Surupa's marriage, but the king became furious. Upon the insistence of his courtiers, the king agreed but laid down a condition: "I will only approve the marriage if you provide me with gifts, dowry, and respect the royal family!"

Bhola relied on the grace of Goddess Kali. He went to the sea to seek her blessings and dove in. When he reached the bottom, he discovered a treasure trove of pearls, which he brought back up. He sold many pearls to buy all that was needed and kept one precious pearl to give as dowry to the king.

As the wedding day approached, the king plotted to steal Bhola's pearls, planning to force him to comply with his demands. Therefore, he ordered that the pearls be thrown back into the sea. On the wedding day, the king arrived with his entourage at Bhola's home, and as the preparations were made, the king demanded the precious pearl. But lo and behold, there were no pearls left! The king commanded everyone to leave. Upon hearing this, Bhola became extremely distressed and ran towards the sea to search for another pearl. His daughter also ran after him, followed by the prince.

Bhola jumped into the sea with a splash, and Surupa jumped in right after him. Seeing this, the prince also jumped into the water. Underwater, the prince saw that Bhola and Surupa were being threatened by a crocodile. By chance, he found an oar from a boat and jabbed it into the crocodile's eye. The crocodile, startled, swam away. Bhola found the precious pearl that the king had thrown into the sea. Then all three surfaced from the water. Bhola handed the precious pearl to the king as dowry for Surupa. The prince took Surupa home, and they lived happily together. By the grace of Goddess Kali, everyone's wishes were fulfilled.