The story follows King Lilkanth, who is born to a childless king and queen but is foretold by an astrologer that he will die in the bridal chamber after marriage. Despite the king's attempts to prevent this fate, Lilkanth marries and, just as prophesied, falls into a seemingly death-like sleep on his wedding night. His mother unfairly blames his new wife for his condition, subjecting her to misery.

As time passes, a magical maid reveals to the queen that Lilkanth is alive and wandering on a bamboo cot, leading her to witness him with fairies who bring him sweets. Eventually, during a festival, Lilkanth's wife follows his suggestion to make their child cry for his father, which ultimately prompts Indra, the king of the gods, to allow Lilkanth to return and live with his family. The story concludes with a joyful reunion of Lilkanth, his parents, and his wife, living happily together.

एगो राजा-रानी हलन। उनका कोई लड़का फड़का नऽ हल। ढेर दिन के बाद एगो लड़का होयल । ओकर नाम लीलकंठ पड़ गेल। पंडी जी पतरा देखइत खनी कहलन कि जब एकर बिआह होयत आउ कोहवर में जायत तब उहँई पलंग पर मर जायत। से राजा ओही दिन कहलन कि एकर बिआह नऽ करव तो कइसे मरत। जब लड़कवा जवान हो गेल तऽ रानी कहलन कि हम लड़का के बिआह करब । राजा बहुत मना कयलन बाकि रानी नऽ मानलन। लड़का के विआह होयल आउ कोहबर में जाय के पहिले ऊ कहलक कि जब हम मरब ते हमरा जरीहऽ-उरीहऽ नऽ । अइसहीं जाके ठठरी पर चिरारी में रख दीहऽ। कोहवर में जब लड़का पलंग पर सूतल तो सुतले रह गेल। रानी पिपकारा करे लगलन । राजा अप्पन लड़का के बाँस के ठठरी बनवलन आउ अइसहीं जाके मुरदघटिया पर रखवा देलन । इहाँ रानी अप्पन पुतोहू के अछरंग लगवलन कि तूं कुलच्छन हेयँ तब नऽ हम्मर बेटा मर गेलऽ से रानी ओकरा बड़ी तकलीफ देवे लगल । बेचारी का कर सकऽ हल। कइसहूँ दुख तकलीफ सह के रहइत हल।

एक दिन एगो गोबरचुन्नी आन के राजा से कहलक कि लीलकंठ राजा के हम चिरारी पर घुरइत-फिरइत देखली हे, बाकि कोई अदमी जन नऽ रहे तब। एकरे पर लीलकंठ के अउरत कहलक कि ई तो मजाक बुझाइत हे। फिन गोबरचुन्नी कहलक कि जा के देखहुन, का तो हम झूठो कहइत हिवऽ । रानी ओही जगह जाके एगो पीपर के खोड़रा में छुपके बइठ गेलन । देखइत हथ कि दूगो परी दू परात मिठाई लेके अयलन आउ लीलकंठ घुरइत-फिरइत हथ। जब परी लोग अयलन तो खटिया पर बइठ गेलन, फिन लीलकंठ पूछलन कि दू गो परात में मिठाई काहे लागी लवलऽ हे? एकरे पर परी लोग कहलन कि एगो तोहर अउरत हथुन, ओही लागी लवली हे । ऊ पीपर के खोड़रा में लुकायल हथुन। जाके लीलकंठ राजा देखइत हथ कि ठीके में नऽ ऊ बइठल हथ । पूछलन कि तूं इहवाँ काहे ला अयलऽ हे ? कउन दुख तकलीफ भेल ? रानी कहलन कि हमरा बड़ी दुख तकलीफ हे। अपने के माय हमरा खाय-पीय लागी भी नऽ देथ। राजा से सबहे दुखड़ा कह सुनवलन । राजा कहलन तूं घरे जा। हम रोज तोरा खाय-पीय ला ऊहईं कोठरी में पहुँचा देबव । रानी घरे चल अयलनऽ।

राजा लीलकंठ रोज रानी के खाय-पीय ला रात के रात पहुँचा देथ । ऊ दूनो ऐस-मौज रात भर करथ आउ भोर में चल जाथ । रोज-के-रोज पान खा के दुहारी के केवाड़ी पर पान के पीक फेंक देथ। राजा के माय ई सब देख के अछरंग लगावे लगलन कि राड़ी कउन के ना कउन के संगे बोला के रहऽ हेय । ऊ बेचारी चुपचाप सुनइत रहे। जब रानी के गरभ रह गेल तब रानी के सास आउ ओरहाना देवे लगलन कि कइसन कुरहनी आयल कि हम्मर खनदान के भी नसले हेय । ऊ रोज थू-थू करथ ।

जब नौवाँ महीना बीतल आउ लइका पैदा होवे ला होयल तो इन्द्र महाराज इन्द्रासन से परी के चमइन बोलावे ला भेजलन। ओही चमइन आन के नार-पुरइन कटलक । जब लीलकंठ राजा के माय देखलन कि लड़का के नार-पुरइन कट गेल तो खूब कोहराम मचवलन। एकरे पर चमइन कहलक कि काहे ला एतना करइत हें। अपने के बेटा तो रोज आवऽ हथ । रानी सुनलन तो कहलन कि अगे चमइनियाँ राड़ी, हमरा से तूं ठठा करइत हेय। हम्मर बेटा मर गेल हेय तऽ आवत कहवाँ से? चमइन कहल कि अपने के बेटा लीलकंठ राजा इन्द्रासन के तबलची हथ। अगर अपने नऽ पतिआइत हिया] तऽ आज देख लेव। लीलकंठ के माय आज रात के देखलक कि ठीके में हम्मर बेटा आवऽ हथ। माय जा के बेटा के भर अँकवार पकड़ लेलन। तो लीलकंठ राजा कहलन कि हम तोहर बेटा अब नऽ हियउ। हम्मर बेटा के ही तूं अप्पन बेटा समझ।

एक दिन लीलकंठ राजा अप्पन अउरत से कहलन कि हमरा रखे के मन हवऽ तो जउन दिन लड़का के छठीहार होयत ओही दिन इन्द्रासन के परी लोग आउ इन्द्र महाराज अवतन। तूं लड़का के खूब चुट्टी काट के रोवइहँऽ । जब लड़का रोवत तो इन्द्र महराज कहतथुन कि लड़का काहे ला रोवइत हे। एकरे पर तूं कहिहऽ कि लड़का अप्पन बाप लागी रोवइत हे। इहें तरह से जब तीन बार करवऽ तो इन्द्र महराज कहतथुन कि एकर बाप कहवाँ हथुन। तो सभे कहतथुन कि एही लीलकंठ राजा हथ । तब एकरे पर इन्द्र महराज खुश होके हमरा रहे लागी कह देथुन। तब हम ओही दिन से तोरा साथे रहे लगवऽ।

जब छठीहार के दिन आयल तो इन्द्र महाराज आउ बहुत मानी परी लोग दान-दहेज लेके अयलन। इहाँ भी खाय-पीय ला सगरो नेवता चल गेल हलऽ। से सभे लोग अयलन। खूब धूम-धाम से छठीहार मनावल गेल। लीलकंठ महाराज के कहे मोताबिक रानी लड़का के चुट्टी काटे लगलन तो लड़का रोवे लगल। एकरे पर इन्द्र महराज कहलन कि लड़का काहे ला रोवइत हे? एकरे पर रानी कहलन कि लड़का अप्पन बाप लागी रोवइत हे। इन्द्र महराज कहलन कि लड़का के बाप केने हे? परी लोग कहलन कि ई का लीलकंठ राजा एकर बाप हथ। इन्द्र महाराज लीलकंठ राजा के रानी आउ लड़का के साथे रहे ला हुकुम दे देलन। ओही दिन से लीलकंठ राजा अप्पन माय-बाप आउ रानी के साथ मजे में रहे लगलन।

See translation

Once upon a time, there was a king and a queen who had no children for a long time. After many days, they finally had a son, whom they named Lilkanth. The astrologer read the birth chart and said that when he gets married and goes to the bridal chamber, he will die on the bed. The king immediately declared that he would not let that happen. When the boy grew up, the queen insisted on getting him married. Despite the king's strong opposition, she did not agree. The boy got married, and before going into the bridal chamber, he said, "When I die, don't bury me. Just place me on a bamboo cot." As the boy slept on the bed in the bridal chamber, he remained still. The queen began to cry. The king made a bamboo cot for his son and placed it on the funeral pyre. Meanwhile, the queen kept tormenting her daughter-in-law, saying, "You are a bad omen, that's why my son has died," and made her suffer greatly. Poor girl could do nothing and had to endure all the misery.

One day, a magical maid came to the king and said, "I saw Lilkanth wandering on a cot, but there was no one around." On this, Lilkanth's wife remarked that this sounds like a joke. The maid insisted, "Go and see for yourself; am I lying?" The queen went and hid behind a peepal tree. She saw two fairies bringing sweets on plates, and Lilkanth was wandering around. When the fairies arrived, they sat on the bed, and Lilkanth asked, "Why are there sweets on the plates?" The fairies replied, "One is for your wife; that's why we brought it." The queen was hiding and saw that he was indeed not sitting there. She asked, "Why have you come here? What troubles you?" The queen said, "I am in great distress. Your mother doesn't even give me food or drink." She narrated all her woes to the king. The king told her to go home and that he would send her food and drink to her room every day. The queen went home.

The king sent food and drink to the queen every night. They both enjoyed themselves throughout the night and left in the morning. Day by day, the king would chew betel and spit it at the entrance of the courtyard. The king's mother saw all this and was shocked, wondering with whom the queen was spending her time. The poor woman just listened silently. When the queen became pregnant, her mother-in-law and others started to criticize her heavily about how bad luck had come upon them. She would spit day after day.

When the ninth month passed and it was time for the child to be born, Indra, the king of the gods, sent a celestial maid to summon the fairies. The maid came to fetch Lilkanth. When the king's mother saw that the child was being summoned by the maid, she raised a great commotion. The maid asked, "Why are you making such a fuss? Your son comes here every day." The queen, overhearing this, replied, "Oh, maidens, you mock me. My son has died; where will he come from?" The maid replied, "Your son, King Lilkanth, is the drummer for Indra. If you do not believe me, just watch today."

That night, Lilkanth's mother saw clearly that her son was indeed coming. She went and embraced him tightly. Lilkanth then told his mother, “I am no longer here; you should understand that my son is your son.”

One day, King Lilkanth told his wife that he wanted to keep her and that on the day of the child's festival, the fairies and Indra would come. "You should cut the child's hair well and make him cry. When the child cries, Indra will ask why he is crying. At that time, you will say that he is crying for his father. When you do this three times, Indra will then ask, where is his father? Everyone will say, 'It is this King Lilkanth.' Then Indra will be pleased and say he is going to stay with me from that day."

When the festival day arrived, Indra and many revered fairies came with gifts. Everyone was invited for food and drink, and many people came. The festival was celebrated with great fanfare. According to the words of King Lilkanth, the queen began to cut the child's hair, causing the child to cry. Indra then asked, “Why is the child crying?” To which the queen responded, “He is crying for his father.” Indra asked, "Who is the father of the child?" The fairies replied, "This King Lilkanth is his father." Indra then commanded that King Lilkanth should stay with the queen and the child. From that day onwards, King Lilkanth began to live happily with his parents and queen.