The story follows a king who struggles to build a castle successfully, leading to punitive measures that cause a worker to flee. The worker encounters a shepherd who, after some initial hesitation, helps a serpent escape. In gratitude, the serpent guides the shepherd to create a beautiful home and an abundant mango orchard overnight.

The king, impressed by these accomplishments, tries to seize the shepherd's creations by imposing further demands. The shepherd cleverly navigates the king's requests, ultimately marrying the king's daughter through a ruse that disguises his wife and fulfills the king’s desires for flowers and birds.

Eventually, the king sends a minister to retrieve the shepherd's father from "heaven," but the minister perishes in the process. The shepherd's cleverness leads him to live contentedly with his three queens, enjoying a life of comfort akin to that of a king. The story conveys themes of resourcefulness, loyalty, and the unexpected rewards of helping others.

एगो राजा हलन। ऊ बार-बार अप्पन किला बनाव हलन आउ गिर जा हल। से एक तुरी सब अमला-कैला के गोजी-लाठी लेके खड़ा रहे कहलन कि अबरी किला के डाहे तो ओकरा जान मार दीहँई । ई बात ओहिजा के नगवा सुनइत हल से ऊ निकल के भागल। लोग ओकरा खदेरलन । रस्ता में एगो गोरखिया ‘चरवाहा' मिलल, जेकरा से नगवा बड़ी घिघिआयल कि हम गेड़र मार के बइठ जाइत ही । तू ऊपरे से बइठ जो, तो हम बच जायमऽ । चरवाहा पहिले नाकर-नुकुर कैलक बाकि नाग के एगो चीनी घइला देबे ला कहे पर ओकरा पर बइठ गेल । राजा के अदमी आन के आगे बैठ गेलन, नाग बच गेल।

नाग के कहल मोताबिक चरवाहा के एगो घइला देलक आउ कहलक कि एकरा में पानी भरके झाँक दिहें आउ गरम करिहें । जब भाफ निकले लगतउ तो ढँकना उघार दिहें। ओकरा में से एगो लड़की निकलतउ । चरवाहा ओइसहीं कैलक आउ लड़की निकलल तो देख के सब चरवाहा भाग गेलन । बाकि नाग के बचावे ओला चरवाहा रह गेल तो लड़किया पूछकई कि तोर घर कहवाँ हवऽ । चरवहवा कहलक कि ऊ का झोपड़िया लौकइत हे। दूनो अप्पन झोपड़ी में चल गेलन। उहईं रहे लगलन । एक दिन लड़किया कहलक कि तू सब के गोरू चराना बंद कर दऽ, आउ राजा से घर बनावे ला जमीन माँग । चरवाहा राजा भिरु जमीन ला गेल तो राजा कहकथिन कि जने जेतना जमीन मिले उहाँ घर बना के रहऽ गन ।

चरवाहा आउ लड़की सहर से हट के रात में गेल । लड़किया जने-जने घूम गेलई, सत-महला किला बन गेल। सबेरे राजा देखलन तो अजगुत में पड़ गेलन। कुछ चुगिला जाके राजा से कहलन कि ओही चरवहवा नऽ किला बना के रहइत हे। राजा अपना से बढ़िया किला देख के हथिआवेला चाहलन। से एगो नउवा राजा से कहलक कि किला लेना कउन मोसकिल हे? अपने ओकरा बोला के कहूँ कि रात भर में फरल आम के बगइचा तइयार कर दे । न करबे तो परिवार साथे मार देवउ । ई सुन के ऊ किला छोड़ के भाग जायत।

राजा नउवा से ओकरा के बोला के कहलक। मेहरारू रात में एक ठइयाँ घूम गेल तो एगो खूब बढ़िया बगइचा लग गेल जेकरा में घउद-के-घउद आम फरल हल । ई देख के राजा साहब खूब खुस भेलन आउ नउवा के बोला के कहलन कि एरे नउवा ऊ तो सब कुछ कर देलक जे कहली हले। अब का करे के चाही? नउवा कहलक कि अबरी कहीं कि सोआर्ग से हमर बाप के समाचार ला दे न तो लादे-भुँसे भरवा देल जयबे। चरवाहा घरे आन के मेहरारू से कहलक, तो ऊ बतौकई कि राजा से सोआर्ग के राह के खर्चा ला बीस हजार रोपेया आउ दस मन चाउर माँग लावऽ । राजा सब चीज दे देलन। चरवाहा घरे आन के छव महीना तक छिपल रहल। ओकर मोंछ-दाढ़ी बढ़के एक-एक हाथ के हो गेल । फिन राजा भिर गेल तो राजा बाप के समाचार पूछलन। ऊ कहलक कि बापजान तो खूब मजे में हथ । हमरे नियर मोटायल हथ बाकि मोछ-दाढ़ी बढ़के बोका अइसन भेल हइन । राजा कहलन कि उहाँ नउवा के कमी न हे हो। एकरा बाद राजा फिनो नउवा के बोला के पूछलन कि अब का करीं ? ऊ तो सोअरग से भी हाल ला देलक । नउवा बतौलक कि अबरी ओकरा से कमछेया के फूल आउ चिरई माँगीं। राजा चरवहवा के बोला के दूनो चीज माँगलन ।

चरवाहा घरे जा के फिनो अप्पन अउरत के कलहलक तो अबरी ओकर अउरतिये मरदाना के भेस बना के घोड़ा पर चढ़के कमछेया देस में चलल । उहाँ पहुँचल तो एगो कुआँ पर पानी पीये ला ठहरल । उहाँ राजा के लड़की झरोखा से देखइत हल। ऊ एकर सूरत देख के मोहा गेल आउ बाप से ओकरे साथे सादी करे ला जिद रोपलक । ऊ लड़का बनल लड़की कमछेया के फूल लेवे के सर्त पर सादी कर लेलल आउ फिन कमछेया के चिरई ला आगे बढ़ल । जाइत-जाइत फिन ओकरा पिआस लगल तो एगो कुआँ पर पानी पीये गेल । उहाँ के राजा के लड़की भी ओकरा देख के मोहित हो गेल आउ अप्पन लौंडी से ओकरा बोला के सादी करे ला पूछलक । तो ऊ बोललक हमरा कमछेआ के चिरई मिल जायत तो सादी करब । लड़की चिरई देवे ला तइयार हो गेल। चट मड़वा, पट भतवान पहिले ही नियन हो गेल आउ बिआह भी हो गेल । जब रोसगदी मांगलन तब राजा खूब अन्न-धन हाथी पर लाद के कमछेया के चिरई साथै अरियात देलन । फिन कमछेया के फूल भिरु अयलन आउ उहाँ से भी रोसगदी करा के हाथी पर कमछेया के फूल लाद के दूनो रानी के साथे घरे पहुँचलन। फिन चरवाहा कमछेया के फूल आउ चिरई राजा साहेब ही ढेर मानी पहुँचा देलन ।

एकरा बाद राजा साहेब नउवा के हुकुम देलन कि जाके सोअरग में बाप के दाढ़ी आउ हजामत बनावइत रहिहें । नउवा भेल परेसान। से आन के चरवाहा सो पूछलक कि सोअरग में कइसे जायल जाहे? ऊ बतौलकई कि चुल्हा में ढेर मानी लकड़ी डाल के बइठ जो, आउ ऊपरे से माटी के तेल छींट के आग लगा ले। ओकरे लहर पर बइठ के सोअरग में चल जयबें । नउवा कहलक कि तू ही पहिले कर दे। चरवाहा ओइसहीं इंतजाम कर देलक । नउवा जरके राख हो गेल । चरवाहा राजा नियन तीनो रानी के साथे आराम-चैन से रहे लगल ।

See translation

Once upon a time, there was a king who repeatedly tried to build his castle but it kept falling down. One day, he gave a warning to all his workers with a stick that whoever failed to build the castle this time would be punished. Hearing this, a worker ran away. The crowd chased after him. On the way, he met a shepherd who was very worried and said that if he sat on the back of the serpent (naga) for a while, he might be saved. The shepherd was initially reluctant but eventually agreed to sit on it after being offered some money. The king’s men seated the serpent in front, and the serpent escaped.

Following the orders of the serpent, the shepherd was asked to prepare a pot, fill it with water, and heat it up. When the steam began to rise, he was to uncover it. From that pot, a girl would emerge. The shepherd did as instructed, and when the girl came out, everyone ran away in surprise. However, the shepherd who saved the serpent remained behind, and the girl asked him where his home was. The shepherd replied that he lived in a small hut. They both went to his hut and stayed there.

One day, the girl suggested to the shepherd to stop herding cows and ask the king for land to build a home. The shepherd went to the king asking for land, and the king told him that he could build a house on whatever land he was given.

The shepherd and the girl moved away from the town to build their home during the night. The girl kept spinning around, and a beautiful mansion was built. In the morning, when the king saw it, he was astonished. Some gossipers went to tell the king that it was that very shepherd who had built the castle. The king, impressed by the castle, wanted to take it for himself. He instructed one of his ministers to tell the shepherd that it would be a hassle to take the castle away, but if he was told that he would be killed along with his family if he didn't prepare a mango orchard overnight, he would surely flee.

The minister conveyed the message to the shepherd. When the girl turned around in the night, she saw a magnificent orchard with many ripe mangoes. Seeing this, the king was delighted and told the minister that the shepherd had done everything he asked. Now, he wanted to know what to do next. The minister replied that they needed to convey news to his father in heaven, or else they would be punished.

The shepherd returned home and told the girl what the king wanted: to ask for twenty thousand rupees and ten maunds of rice as the costs to send to heaven. The king gave everything. The shepherd hid for six months, during which his beard and mustache grew long. When the king inquired about his father, the shepherd said that his father was enjoying life and had gotten a bit fat but had grown shaggy due to his long beard and mustache. The king replied that the boy wasn't lacking anything.

Later, the king again inquired of the minister about what to do now. The minister said that they needed to ask for the flowers and birds from the mango orchard. The king ordered the shepherd to procure both items.

The shepherd then returned home and, disguising his wife as a man, mounted a horse and rode off to the mango country. Upon reaching there, he stopped at a well to drink. The king's daughter saw him from the balcony and got mesmerized by his looks, insisting her father marry her off to him. The disguised boy agreed to marry her on the condition that she would bring him flowers and birds from the orchard.

The girl was willing to provide the birds. In no time, the wedding was arranged, and as they demanded the marriage gifts, the king loaded elephants with grain and sent them along with the flowers and the birds back to the shepherd's home. The shepherd returned home with the flowers and birds, greatly pleased the king.

After this, the king ordered the minister to go and have the father receive a shave and grooming in heaven. The minister felt uneasy about the task. The shepherd then told him how he would go to heaven: by placing plenty of wood in the fireplace, sprinkling oil over it, and lighting a fire. He would sit over the flames and be transported to heaven. The minister asked the shepherd to go first. The shepherd prepared everything, and the minister turned to ashes. The shepherd then lived comfortably with his three queens, just like a king.