The story revolves around a sage and his three foolish brothers who lack interest in education. When their wives urge them to earn a living, each brother approaches the same king for a job performing prayers in the temple, all receiving ten rupees and food each month. The eldest and middle brothers simply chant variations of "Jap-jap," while the clever youngest brother decides to mimic them by chanting, "As long as we keep performing," believing it to be more effective. Despite their lack of genuine effort or understanding, all three brothers end up earning money, illustrating the absurdity of their situation and the foolishness of the king who fails to see through their ruse. The tale highlights themes of folly, deception, and the irony of how even the uneducated can find a way to survive in a foolish realm.

एगो बाबा जी हलन। ऊ तीन भाई हलन। तीनो महामूरुख हलन। तनिको पढ़े-लिखे से मतलब न हल। बड़का भाई के सादी होयल हल, से एक दिन उनकर मेहराररू कहलन कि कहीं बाहर जा के कमा-खा गन। तब बाबाजी एगो राजाजी के पास गेलन आउ राजा जी से कहलन कि कुछ पूजा पाठ करे के नोकरी दिहीं जे से हम्मर पेट चले। राजा कहलन कि हम्मर ठकुरबाड़ी में पूजा करीं, दस रुपेया आउ खाना-पीना महिनवारी मिलतवऽ । बाबाजी सोचलन कि हम पढ़ल-लिखल तो ही नऽ, पूजा-पाठ कइसे करब? फिनो एगो उपाय सोच के जाप के रट लगावे लगलन । ऊ 'जाप-जाप-जाप' के खाली रट लगाव हलन।

तब फिनो बाबा जी के मँझिला भाई के उनकर भउजाई कहीं कमाय-खाय ला भेजलन। ऊ भी हुआँ से चल के ओही राजा के पास पहुँचलन। अप्पन उजूर सुनौलन कि हमरो कुछ खाय-पीय के नोकरी देती हल। राजा कहलन कि जा के ठकुरवाड़ी में पूजा-पाठ कर, उहाँ आउ ब्रह्मण पूजा-पाठ करइत हथ। दस रुपेया महीना आउ खाना-पीना मिलतवऽ। एतना सुन के ऊ भी ठकुरवाड़ी में चल गेलन आउ अप्पन भाई के पूजा करइत देखलन आउ सुनलन कि जाप-जाप करइत हथ । तो ई नेहा के 'जप-जपा' के रट लगावे लगलन । ई तरी रोज अपना काम करे लगलन।

कुछ दिन के बाद छोटका भाई के भी भउजाई भेज देलन । ऊ भी राजा के पास आन के नोकरी माँगलन । उनका भी ठकुरवाड़ी में दस रुपेया महीना आउ खाना-पीना पर नोकरी पूजा करे ला लग गेल। ई कुछ चलाँक हलन से कहलन कि हमनी तीनों भाई अनपढ़ ही, देखीं, ऊ सब भाई पूजा-पाठ में का कहऽ हथ? उहाँ देखलन तो बड़का भाई 'जाप-जाप' आउ मँझिला भाई 'जप-जपा' करइत हथ। देख के सोचलन कि राजा एहनी के देख लेवे तो बिना पिटाई के खैरियत न हे। मुफत में पइसा कमा रहलन हे। एहनी के जै घड़ी निबहइत हे, तै घड़ी निभ जायए एही में गनीमत है ! ई सोंच के ऊ रट लगौलन कि 'जै घड़ी निबहे, तै घड़ी- जै घड़ी निबहे तै घड़ी'। ई तरह से तीनों भाई नोकरी करे लगलन, आउ दस-दस रुपेया के हिसाब से तीस रुपेया महीना घरे आवे लगल। मूरुख राजा के राज़ में अइसने काम होव हे । ओकर मूरुख से मूरुख भी ठग ले हे।

See translation

Once there was a sage. He had three brothers, and all three were great fools. They had no interest in education. The eldest brother got married, and one day his wife told him to go out and earn some food. Then the sage went to a king and requested him to give him a job for performing prayers so that he could feed himself. The king replied that he could perform prayers in his temple, and he would receive ten rupees and food each month. The sage thought to himself, "I'm not educated; how can I perform prayers?" Then he devised a plan and started repeating a chant. He would just keep chanting "Jap-jap-jap."

After some time, the middle brother’s wife also sent him out to earn food. He went to the same king and requested a job. He too was given a job to perform prayers in the temple for ten rupees and food per month. Upon hearing this, he went to the temple and saw his brother performing prayers, chanting "Jap-jap." So, he also started repeating "Japa-japa." This way, he began to do his work.

A few days later, the youngest brother's wife also sent him out. He went to the king and asked for a job. He was also hired to perform prayers in the temple for ten rupees and food. The youngest brother, being a bit clever, thought to himself, "All three of us brothers are uneducated; let’s see what these other brothers are saying during the prayers." When he saw the eldest brother chanting "Jap-jap" and the middle brother chanting "Japa-japa," he thought that if the king saw them, they would certainly get scolded. They were earning money without genuine efforts. He thought it might be better to just repeat "As long as we keep performing." Thinking this, he started chanting, "As long as we keep performing, as long as we keep performing." In this way, all three brothers began working, and soon thirty rupees started coming home as a result of their ten rupee salaries. Such foolishness can happen in the kingdom of a foolish king. Even the most foolish can deceive him.