The story revolves around Baba Ji, a poverty-stricken man struggling to provide an education for his two children. A sadhu visits him and offers to educate the children, taking them under his wing. The elder child is initially sent to graze goats while the younger one learns extensively. However, when the sadhu switches their roles just before Baba Ji's return, a series of misadventures ensues. The younger son, disguised as a servant, tricks Baba Ji into selling him as a horse to the sadhu. Despite warnings to keep the reins, Baba Ji sells them too and loses his son. The story then follows a fantastical chain of transformations involving the sadhu, a fish, an ox, and ultimately an ornament, culminating in the realization that Baba Ji's actions were meant to ensure a better future for his children, as the younger son later brings the elder brother home, affirming that the father's decision was ultimately for the best.

एगो हलन बाबा जी। दिन माँगथ तो सवा सेर, आउ रात माँगथ तो सवे सेर। उनका कभी पेट न भरे। उनका दूगो लइकन हलन। बाबा जी सोचथ कि एहनी के कहिना पठसाला में बइठाऊँ? गरीबी से उनका बइठाबल न बनऽ हल। सपरते-सपरते दूनो लइकन सेआन हो गेलन ।

एक दिन उनकर दूरा पर बेर डूबइत एगो साधु पहुँचलन आउ कहलन कि मिले जजमान, मिले जजमान ! एकरा पर बाबा जी कहलन कि तोरा दिन भर माँगे से पेट न भरलव तो बेरिया डूबे माँगे से पेट भर जतवऽ । साधु जी कहलन कि तूं काहे ला खिसिआइत हऽ । तूं ई दूनो लइकवन के पठसाला में न भेजऽ? बाबा जी कहलन कि गरीबी से पाठसाला में भेजल पार न लगइत हे। साधु जी कहलन कि हमरा दूनो लइकवन के दे दऽ । हम पढ़ा दीवऽ बाकि हम एक लइकवा के ले लववऽ । बाबा जी दूनो परानी राय करके लइकवन के पढ़े ला साधु जी के दे देलन । साधु जी कहलन कि चार महीना के बाद तूं हमरा ही अइहँ , साधुजी लइका लेके चल अयलन ।

बड़का के बिसटी पेन्हा के बकरी चरावे ला भेज देलन। ऊं रोज बकरी चरावल करे। छोटका के सब गुन से भर देलन । जब बाबा जी के आवे ला दस दिन बाकी रहल तो साधु जी छोटका के बकरी चरावे भेजे लगलन आउ बड़का के पढ़ावे लगलन। संयोग से बाबा जी चलल आवइत हलन कि रस्ते में छोटका बेटा से भेंट भे गेल। बाप पूछलन तो बेटा कहलक कि बाबू जी, हम सब गुन के आगर हो गेलिवे हे । भइया एही आठ-दस दिन से पढ़इत हथुन । तूं हमरे लिहँऽ । लइकवा कहलकई कि तूं आगे चलऽ, न तो साधु जी कहतथुन कि बतिया गेल हे।

बाबा जी आगे गेलन। साँझ के ओहू बकरी लेके पहुँचल । रात भर रहके सुबह में चलल चाहलक। साधु जी दूनो लइकन के बोला के कहलन कि तूं कउन लेबऽ ? बाबा जी कहलन कि छोटका ! साधु जी डपटलन कि तू कउन लेवे? तइयो बाबाजी कहलन कि हम छोटके लेम । का करथ, साधु जी छोटका के दे देलन ।

बाबाजी अप्पन बेटा के लेके चललन । कुछ दूर गेला पर बेटा कहलक कि बाबू जी बाबू जी ! कुछ कमइत चलऽ । बेटवा बोलल कि तूं आगे चलऽ आउ हम बंडोवा बन के धोबी के बढ़ियाँ कपड़ा उड़ा लावइत हीवऽ। बाबा जी आगे बढ़लन आउ धोबी के कपड़ा बंडोवा में उड़के आगे गिरल। उहाँ अप्पन रूप में हो के कहलक कि बाबू जी, तू नीमन कपड़ा पेहेन ले आउ हम बन जाइत हीवऽ घोड़ा। मेला में चल के हमरा पाँच सौ में बेच दऽ बाकि लगाम मत बेचिहँऽ । अगर लगाम दे देवऽ तो बेटा से हाथ धो देवऽ ।

बाबा जी घोड़ा पर चढ़ के मेला आ गेलन। साधु जी भी उहाँ पहुँचलन आउ चेला के चीन्ह के घोड़ा के दाम पूछलन। बाबा जी पाँच सौ बतौलन आउ साधु जी घोड़ा पाँच सौ में खरीद लेलन। बाबा जी लगाम निकाले लगलन तो साधु जी कहलन कि बिना लगाम के कहीं घोड़ा बिकऽ हे? एही में बतकुचन भेल आउ चार आदमी पहुँच गेलन। अंत में बाबा जी पाँच सौ में लगामो बेच देलन आउ बेटा के खो देलन ।

साधु जी राह में जाइत हलन कि घोड़ा एगो गढ़हा में पानी पीये लगल। पानी पीते-पीते घोडा मछरी हो गेल । गढ़हा उबीछे पर भी मछरी न मिलल । एगो व्यापारी के बैल पानी पीअइत हल तो मछरी ओकरे पेट में चल गेल हल। साधु जी लचार हो के व्यापारी से ऊ बैल खरीद लेलन ।

कसाई ही जा के ऊ बैल कटवैलन तो मछरी निकलल बाकि ओकरा एक चील्ह ले के उड़ गेल । चील्ह से छूट के मछली राजा के अंगना में गिर गेल आउ चन्दरहार हो गेल । राजा के बेटी ओकरा उठा लेलक ।

साधु जी भी उहाँ पहुँच गेलन । राजा से मिनती कयलन कि अपन बेटी से चन्दरहार मँगवा देई। राजा अप्पन बेटी से चन्दरहार देवे ला कहलन तो बेटी इनकार कर गेल। राजा के खिसिआ जाय पर बेटी साधु जी के सामने आन के चन्दरहार पटक देलक। पटकते ही ऊ तोरी हो गेल तो साधुजी कबूतर बनके चुने लगलन । दूसर सरसों में परान हल से ऊ बिलाई बन गेल आउ कबूतर के खा गेल।

फिनो बाबा जी के बेटा अप्पन घरे आ गेल आउ अप्पन बड़का भाई के भी लेले आयल । घरे आके कहलक कि बाबू जी जे कयलऽ से अच्छे कयलऽ।

See translation

Once there was a man known as Baba Ji who would ask for one and a quarter seer during the day and one seer at night, yet he was never satisfied. He had two children, and he often wondered how to send them to school since it was beyond his means due to poverty. As time passed, both children grew up.

One day, a sadhu (holy man) came to his door while the sun was setting and greeted him, saying, “I have come to you.” Baba Ji replied, “You ask for food all day, and now you wish to fill your belly just because the sun is setting.” The sadhu responded, “Why are you upset? Why don’t you send these two children to school?” Baba Ji said he couldn’t afford to send them to school. The sadhu offered to take the two children, promising to teach them, while he would take one child with him. After consulting with both children, Baba Ji agreed to send them to the sadhu for their education.

The elder child was sent to graze goats while the younger one was filled with all the necessary knowledge. When Baba Ji had just ten days left to return, the sadhu began sending the younger child to graze goats and teaching the elder one. Coincidentally, Baba Ji was returning home and met the younger son on the way. When asked about his studies, the son replied, “Father, I have learned everything. My brother has been studying for the past eight to ten days. You should take me.” The elder brother replied, “You go ahead; otherwise, the sadhu will say that you have been delayed.”

Baba Ji moved ahead and in the evening brought the goats home. After staying the night, he wanted to leave in the morning. The sadhu asked both boys whom he would take. Baba Ji said, “The younger one!” The sadhu, surprised, asked again whom he would take. Baba Ji insisted, “I will take the younger one.” So the sadhu reluctantly gave the younger child to Baba Ji.

Baba Ji set off with his son. After walking a short distance, the son said, “Father, Father! Walk a bit slower.” The son suggested he should walk ahead while he, pretending to be a servant, would go and fetch the washerman’s fine clothes. Baba Ji proceeded ahead, and the son disguised himself as a servant and snatched the washerman’s clothes. In his true form, he told Baba Ji, “Father, you wear these nice clothes, and I will turn into a horse. Take me to the fair and sell me for five hundred, but do not sell the reins. If you do, you will lose your son.”

Baba Ji rode on the horse and reached the fair. The sadhu also arrived there and recognized his disciple, asking about the horse's price. Baba Ji said five hundred, and the sadhu purchased the horse for that price. As Baba Ji tried to remove the reins, the sadhu exclaimed, “What horse can be sold without reins?” Amid their banter, four men gathered around. In the end, Baba Ji sold the reins as well for five hundred and lost his son.

As the sadhu continued on his way, the horse stopped to drink water from a ditch. While drinking, the horse turned into a fish. Although the ditch was muddy, no fish could be found. A merchant’s ox was also drinking water when the fish entered its belly. The sadhu, feeling helpless, bought the ox from the merchant.

When the butcher went and slaughtered the ox, the fish came out, but a kite swooped down and carried it away. The kite released the fish in the royal courtyard, where the fish turned into a beautiful ornament called "Chandrahara." The king's daughter picked it up.

The sadhu also reached the palace and requested the king to give him the ornament from his daughter. The king asked his daughter to hand over the ornament, but she refused. The king was annoyed, but the daughter threw the Chandrahara at the sadhu. As it hit the ground, the sadhu turned into a pigeon and began to pick at it. Transforming into a cat from a nearby mustard field, the cat devoured the pigeon.

Later, Baba Ji’s son returned home and brought his elder brother along. Upon returning home, he said, “Father, what you did was for the best.”