The story follows a sage whose son fails to learn anything during his studies in Kashi and returns home. The sage encounters a water collector who mentions that effort is necessary for knowledge. Later, the sage goes to a village, claiming to possess knowledge gained from Kashi. He impresses the villagers by correctly counting plates and locating a lost donkey, leading to his growing reputation. When tasked by the king to find the queen's missing necklace or face execution, he accidentally discovers the necklace's location through chance. Finally, when confronted with increasingly difficult questions, the sage realizes his luck might run out and decides to flee rather than risk being exposed as a fraud. The story emphasizes the importance of genuine knowledge and the consequences of pretension.

एगो बाबा जी के एके गो लड़का हलन। से बाबाजी अपन लइका के पढ़े ला कासी जी भेजलन । उहाँ ऊ केतनो पढ़थ, बाकि कोई बात उनकर मगज में घुसवे न करे। केतनो पढ़े के कोरसिस कैलन, बाकि ऊ कुछो न पढ़ सकलन, तो एक रोज कासी छोड़ के घरे चल अयलन। रस्ता में एगो कुआँ पर पनिहारिन मिललन। पाड़े जी उहाँ पानी पीये गेलन, तो पनिहरनियन पूछलथिन कि तू कहाँ से आवइत हऽ, आउ कहाँ जयवे? पाँड़े जी कहलन कि ''हम कासी जी पढ़े गेली हल। कई बच्छर उहाँ रहली बाकि कुछो न सीखली। से घरे घूरल जाइत ही।'' ओहनी कहलथिन कि हमनी के डोरी पेटारी के हे, बाकि एकरे रग्गड़ से कुआँ के पक्का खिया गेल है। अइसहीं तू रग्गड़ करऽ तो विद्या सीख जयवऽ। पाँड़े जी सोचलन कि रग्गड़ करे से का न आ जा हे? अगम विद्या भी अदमी अइसहीं न सीख जा हे!

पंडी जी अगम जानेओला ब्राह्मण बन के उहाँ से एगो गाँव में गेलन। उहाँ जा के गाँव के लोग से कहलन कि ''हम कासी से पढ़-लिख के अइली हे। तोहनी जे पूछवऽ से बतौबवऽ। हम बीतल आउ आवेओला बात कहऽ ही।'' एतने में एगो अदमी आन के कहलक कि हमरा ही का बनल हे ! पाँड़े जी ओकर घर के दरार से देख के लिटिया गिन लेलन हल। तुरते कह देलन कि तोरा हीं सात गो लिट्टी बनल हवऽ। तू का बतिअयवऽ। ऊ कहलक कि ई तो ठीके बात है। से पाँड़े जी के बारे में बात फैलल कि ई अगमजानी हथ, से एगो धोबी के गदहा भुलायल हल। ऊ खोजइत-खोजइत पाँड़े जी के पास पहुँचल आउ कहलक कि पाँड़े जी, हम्मर एगो गदहा भुलायल हे। बता दऽ तो जे कहवऽ से देबवऽ। पाँड़े जी के तो पिल्ही चमकल। जब कोई अकिल काम न आयल, तऽ दीसा फिरे के बहाने भागे ला चाहलन। कहलन कि हम दीसा फीर के आवइत ही तब बतौबवऽ। ऊ दीसा फीरे रहर में गेलन, तो देखइत हथ कि गदहवा रहर के खूंटी में अझुरायल हे। ऊ तुरते खुसी में अयलन आउ कह देलन कि ''तोर गदहवा रहरिया में चरइत हवऽ!'' गदहा के पता लगला पर पाँड़े जी के तो आउ नाम फैलल।

पाँड़े जी के बारे में राजा जी के पास भी खबर पहुँचल। एक दिन राजा जी के रानी के चनरहार भुला गेल, आउ खोजे से न मिलल तो पाँड़े जी के बोलावल गेल। राजा कहलन कि कल्ह तक चनरहार के पता बता दऽ, तो इनाम मिलतवऽ न तो फाँसी पर चढ़ा देल जयतवऽ । पाड़े जी रात भर डरे सूतलन नऽ । नींद न आयल तो कहइत हलन कि ''आव रे नीनिया, सूत रे पीठिया, बिहान परवे फाँसी''। राजा के दूगो लौंड़ी के नाम नीनिया आउ पीठिया हल। ओहनी दूनो हरवा चोरवले हले। उ सुन दुनों सुन लेलक, से गते पाँड़े जी भिर आन के कहलक कि बिहान हमनी के फाँसी काहे ला दिअयवऽ। चनरहरवा तू ही लेलऽ । पाँड़े जी कहलन कि जो दिरखा पर चनरहार रख दे। दोसर दिन पाँड़े जी पोथी-पतरा निकाल के पूरा बाँधलन आउ कहलन कि ''थपक -थुपक के लिट्टी गिनली, दिसा फिरंतो गदहा। नीन-पीठ करइत चनरहार पवली। जा के देखे दिरखा ।'' देखल गेल तो उहाँ ठीके चनरहार रखल मिलल । अब तो पाँड़े जी के नाम के सगरो सोर हो गेल। से अइसहूँ लोग जा के उनका से कुछ-न-कुछ पूछल करथ।

एक दिन पाँड़े जी बइठल हलन कि एगो अदमी मुट्ठी में फतिंगा बन्द कैले आयल आउ पूछलक कि हमर हाथ में का हे? पाड़े जी के तो अबरी होसे-हवासे गूम हो गेल। अब कइसे बतावथ? बाकि मन के बहलावे ला पोथी पतरा निकाल के उलटे-पलटे लगलन। ऊ बुदबुदाथ कि ''थपक-थुपक के लिट्टी गिनली, दिसा फिरंते गदहा । नीन-पीठ करते चनरहार पवली, जान भेल फतिंगा।'' फतिंगा कहते अदमिया अपन मुट्ठी खोल देलक आउ फतिंगा उड़ गेल । अब पाँड़े जी के लोहा के डंका सगरो बज गेल। से एक दिन दोसर अदमी मुट्ठी में राख बाँधले पूछलक, तो पंडी जी के पिल्ही चमक गेल, तइयो जान बचावे ला ऊ बुदबुदयलन ''थपक-थपक के लिट्टी गिनली, दिसा फिरंते गदहा। नीन-पीठ करइत चनरहार पवली, जान भेल फतिंगा। अब का बूझूं खाख ?'' खाख सुनते अदमी हाथ खोल देलक आउ कहलक कि हमनी समझ गेली कि तू कासी के पढ़ल अगमजानी हऽ । एने पाँड़े जी सोचलन कि इहाँ से भागे के चाहीं न तो जान खतरा में पड़ सकऽ हे। से ऊ दूसर दिन मुंहअन्‍हारे उठ के भाग गेलन।

See translation

Once there was a sage who had a son. The sage sent his child to Kashi to study. There, no matter how much he studied, nothing got into his mind. Despite repeated efforts to learn, he couldn’t grasp anything, so one day he returned home from Kashi. On the way, he met a water collector at a well. When the sage stopped to drink water, the water collector asked him, “Where are you coming from and where are you going?” The sage replied, “I went to Kashi to study. I stayed there for several years, but I didn't learn anything, so I am returning home.” They told him, “We have a rope for drawing water from the well, but with just that rope, the well has not been properly cleaned. Similarly, if you keep trying, you will learn knowledge.” The sage thought, “What can’t be learned by just trying? Even deep knowledge doesn’t get learned without effort!”

The sage, appearing knowledgeable, went to a village from there. Upon reaching, he told the villagers, “I have come after studying from Kashi. Ask me anything you wish, and I will tell you, regarding past and future events.” Just then, a man came forward and asked, “What have I become?” The sage looked through the cracks of the man’s house and counted the plates. Then he immediately said, “You have seven plates.” “You are correct,” the man replied. Thus, news spread among the villagers that the sage was truly knowledgeable, which reached a washerman who had lost his donkey. He searched for it and finally came to the sage, saying, “Sage, I have lost my donkey. Please tell me, and I will give you whatever you ask.” The sage was instantly delighted. When no intelligent way worked, he wanted to get away by saying he would return after a while. He said, “I will come back and tell you then.” When the washerman turned and walked away, he noticed that the donkey was entangled in a tether. He happily returned, saying, “Your donkey is grazing at the tether!” Upon finding the donkey, the sage’s reputation grew even more.

The news about the sage reached the king as well. One day, the queen lost her moon necklace, and after searching for it without success, the sage was called. The king said, “Find the necklace by tomorrow, or else you will be hanged.” The sage could not sleep all night in fear. When he couldn’t sleep, he kept saying, “Oh sleep, come on, I’ll sleep on my back, and by morning, I’ll be hanged.” The king had two servants named Sleep and Back. They both were thieves. Upon hearing this, both of them laughed, so the sage went to them and asked why they were hanging him in the morning. “Take the necklace, you just have to find it.” The sage instructed to place the necklace in front of them. The next day, the sage took out his books and said, “Counting the plates with a thud, donkeys are wandering around. The moon necklace was resting in the back, so go and see.” When searched, the necklace was found right there. Now, the name of the sage became known far and wide, and people began to visit him, asking him various questions.

One day, the sage was sitting when a man came with a firefly in his fist and asked, “What do I have in my hand?” The sage became completely lost for words. How would he tell him? To calm himself, he took out his books and started turning the pages. He murmured, “Counting the plates with a thud, donkeys are wandering around. The moon necklace was resting in the back, the life was in the firefly.” As soon as he said firefly, the man opened his fist, and the firefly flew away. Now, the sage’s fame reached its peak. One day another man came asking with a handful of ashes; the sage was thrilled, but to save his life, he murmured again, “Counting the plates with a thud, donkeys are wandering around. The moon necklace was resting in the back, the life was in the firefly. What should I understand now?” Upon hearing “ashes,” the man opened his hand and said, “We understand that you are a knowledgeable scholar from Kashi.” The sage realized he should escape from there, or his life might be in danger. So, the next day he got up without saying a word and fled away.