The story centers on a poor priest dedicated to worship, often frustrating his worried wife. Seeking solitude, he retreats to a secluded place but ends up inadvertently capturing a serpent's baby in his clothes, which brings him unexpected fortune in the form of a golden ornament. His wife sells the ornament to a lady, who later discovers a baby boy hidden inside it. The lady adopts the boy, who grows up to be a prince. When his wife presses him to reveal his lineage, he reveals he is the son of a serpent and jumps into the same pond where he had first been found, leaving her heartbroken.

In her grief, the queen cries by the pond, catching the attention of the goddess Parvati and her husband, Lord Mahadev. After hearing her plight, Mahadev instructs her to attend a nightly dance of spirits, where she can reunite with her husband. She follows his advice, finds her husband among the spirits, and brings him back. The couple then resumes their life together in happiness. The story explores themes of devotion, longing, and the intertwining of fate and relationships.

एगो हलन पंडित जी, बेचारे महागरीब । उनका दुनिया से कुछ मतलब नऽ हल। उनका एगो लड़की हल । आउ ऊ अपने मेहरारू के साथ रहऽ हलन। उनकर मेहरारू हमेसा सोचइत रह हलन कि कइसे राज- पाट चलत। उनकर पतिदेव हमेशा चौबिसो घंटा पूजा करऽ हलन। से ई से उनकर मेहरारू उनका पर बड़ी खिसिया हलथिन । इहाँ तक कि उनका मार- गारी भी दे दे हलथिन । एकरा मारे बाबा जी एकांत जगह में पूजा करे वास्ते चल देलन । चार-पाँच दिन हो गेल बाकि पंडित जी घरे नऽ अयलन ।

उनकर घरे के सोचलन कि बाबा जी कहाँ चल गेलन । पंडिताइन जी टोला परोस के लइकन से पूछलन कि बाबा जी के देखले हें बाबू ! लइकन सब कहलन कि हाँ, हम देखली हे। से ऊ अहरा पर जाके दिन-रात पूजा करइत रहऽ हथुन । उनकर मेहरारू कहलथिन लइकवन से कि ए बाबू, तूं जाके तंग कर गन कि ऊ पंडित जी उहाँ से भाग जाथ । जब लइकन उनका बड़ी तंग कयलक तब बेचारे अप्पन बोरिया-विस्तर बाँध के अप्पन गाँव से एकांत जंगल में एगो तलाब पर चल गेलन । उहाँ अप्पन आसन लगौलन ।

इहाँ जब पंडिताइन जी पूछलन कि ए लइकन, बाबा जी कहाँ गेलथुन ? तब सब कहलक कि हमनी तंग करलीवऽ से ऊ भाग गेलथुन । तब पंडिताइन जी कहलन कि अच्छा ! ओने जब पंडित जी स्नान करे ला पोखरा में गेलन तो धोती चुनिया के अरार पर रख देलन । पोखरा में हेलते देखइत हथ कि एगो नाग के बच्चा धोती में घूस गेल। पंडित जी अइसहीं धोती उठवलन आउ घरे आन के साँप सहिते धोती के कोठी में डाल देलन। अप्पन बेटी से कहलन कि ए बेटी, जो मइया से कहिहें कि तोरा ला एगो चीज ले अइलिअइ हे। तब मइया कोठी में हाथ डाललक आउ एगो धोती निकाललक। धोती झारलक तो एगो सोना के हँसुली निकलल ।

उहाँ पंडित जी सोचइत हलन कि ऊ साँप पंडिताइन जी के काट लेत आउ ऊ तो मर जयतन, हमरा पूजा करे में फैल हो जायत। जब पंडिताइन जी हँसुली देखलन तब उनका बड़ी खुशी होयल । पंडित जी बड़ा छव पाँच में पड़ गेलन कि अब का हम करीं । पंडिताइन खूब पुआ-पूड़ी बनवलन आउ खुशी मनवलन ।

उनकरे दूरा पर एगो राजा के घर हल । राजा के घर में कोई नऽ हले। खाली एगो मोसमात अउरत हले। पंडिताइन जी हँसुली पेन्हले हलन । जब मोसमात पंडिताइन जी के हँसुली पेन्हले देखलन तब कहलन कि ए ब्राह्मनि देवता, से तोरा ई हँसुलिया नऽ हवऽ सोभइत, से एकरा हमरा दे दऽ। हम तोरा पइसा देइत हीवऽ । पंडिताइन जी भी सोचलन कि एकरा से हमरा का मतलब है, से हम एकरा बेच देइत ही । पंडिताइन जी हँसुली बेच के सुख से रहे लगलन ।

मोसमात हँसुली लेके एगो बक्सा में रख देलन। ओकरा कहिनो पेन्हबो नऽ कयलन । छवाँ महीना के बाद उनका नइहर से एगो नेवता आयल जेकरा में उनका जाय ला हल। महाफा दूरा पर लगल । ओकरा पर बइठलन आउ चल देलन । जब एक-दू कोस गेलन तब इयाद पड़ल कि हँसुलिया नऽ लेली हे। लौड़ी दिया हँसुली मँगावे ला चाहलन। लौड़ी गेल आउ बक्सा के ताला खोललक तब देखऽ हे कि एगो छव महीना के बेटा ओकरा में तइयार है । लौड़ी ओकरा सीधे उठवलक आउ लेले चल आयल । रानी के ला के दे देलक । तब रानी पुछलक कि एही बक्सा में हल ? तब लौड़ी बोलल कि हाँ ! रानी भी सोचलक कि हमरा कोई बाल-बच्चा नऽ हल से हटावऽ एकरे पोसम ।

रानी तो लड़का के पोस-पास के तइयार कयलन । जब लड़का सरेक भे गेल तब उनका सादी कर देलन । सादी कर के पुतोह के घरे ले अयलन । पुतोहिया पर एगो कुटनी बुढ़िया लग गेल । ऊ उनका सिखा देलक कि तू पूछिह अप्पन पति से कि तू केकर बेटा हऽ । कुटनी बुढ़िया खूब पुतोहिया के कान भरलक । तब पुतोहिया राजी भे गेल । ऊ अप्पन पति से पूछे लगल कि तूं केकर बेटा हऽ, से अप्पन बाबू जी के नाम बतावऽ । उनकर मेहारारू उनका से रोज एही बात पूछे । ऊ बतावथ कि ओकरा से तोरा का मतलब हवऽ? तबो कहथ कि न हमरा बताइये दऽ । तब राजा कहलन कि जब हम बता देबवऽ तऽ तोरा हमरा से मुलाकात नऽ होतवऽ । तबो रानी नऽ मानथ ।

ऊ तंग कर के अप्पन पति के छोड़ देलन। एकरा बाद राजा कहलन कि अच्‍छा चलऽ । हम तोरा बता देई । आउ कह देलन कि हम तोरा इहाँ नऽ बतव से चलऽ पोखरा पर । राजा आउ रानी पोखरा पर महाफा में बइठ के चल गेलन । राजा भर ठेहुना पानी में जाके कहलन कि अबो पूछबऽ कि का तोरा बाप के नाम हवऽ । रानी कहलन कि हाँ ! राजा मुँह तक पानी में चल गेलन आउ रानी से पूछलन कि अबो पूछबऽ तबो रानी कहलन कि हाँ ! तब राजा कहलन कि हम नाग के लइका ही । एतना कह के राजा डुबकी लगा लेलन आउ नऽ निकललन।

रानी ओही पोखरा पर खूब लोट-लोट के रोवे लगलन कि हम्मर पति एकरे में मर गेलन हे । खूब पिचकार के रोवे लगलन । चार-पाँच दिन रोवते बीतल । एक दिन के बात हे कि महादे जी आउ पार्वती जी सैर में निकलल हलन। जब पार्वती जी एगो मेहरारू के करुण रोवाई सुनलन तब उनका दया आ गेल। पार्वती जी महादे जी से कहलन कि हम उहाँ जाइत चाह ही । महादे जी कहलन कि तँ उहाँ मत जा, से दुनिया में तो दुख-सुख लगले हे । तइयो ऊ नऽ मानलन। महादे जी एक जगह बइठ गेलन ।

पार्वती जी पूछलन कि काहे ला रोवइत हँऽ, से का चीज के तोरा तकलीफ हऊ। तब ऊ रानी बोलल कि हमरा जे तकलीफ हे ओकरा मेटा देवऽ का, जब नऽ मेटयब तब तोरा हमरे अइसन बइठ के रोवे पड़तव । तब पार्वती जी कहलन कि बोल, तोरा का तकलीफ हऊ, से तकलीफ के हम मेटा देबऽ । तब ऊ कहलक कि हम्मर पति एही पोखरा में डूब गेलन हे से निकाल दऽ। अब तो पार्वती जी से ई काम होयबे नऽ करें। ओहू ओइसही ओहिजे बइठ के रोवे लगलन।

एने महादे जी अहर देखइत हथ, पहर देखइत हथ कि अब आवऽ हथ, अब आवऽ हथ । महादे जी हार के उहाँ गेलन तब देखइत हथ कि गौरी जी भी रोवइत हथ । जा के पूछलन । कि का बात से रोवइत हऽ तोहनीन। तब दूनो बतवलन । महादेजी ऊ अउरत से कहलन कि तोरा पति के मिले के उपाय हम बता देइत ही।

ऊ बतयलन कि आधा रात में आज एहिजे इनरासन लगत आउ परी के नाच होयत, से ओतिये घड़ी तूं अइहँऽ । महादे जी दखिन भर बइठल होथुन त्रिशूल, डमरू आउ भभूत लगवले । उनके से पूछ लिह। ऐतना कहके महादे जी आउ पार्वती जी चल गेलन। रानी भी ओती घड़ी चल गेलन । कुछ देरी के बाद ऊ अयलन तब देखइत हथ कि नाच-गान हो रहल हे । ऊ रानी जा के महादे जी से पूछलन कि हम्मर पति कहाँ हथ, तब महादे जी बता देलन कि ओही तोर पति हथुन । अप्पन पति के रानी चीन्ह लेलन आउ उनका साथे, अप्पन घरे चल अयलन। खूब मौज के साथ दूनों रहे लगलन।

See translation

Once there was a poor priest who didn't care much about the world. He had a daughter and lived with his wife. His wife always worried about how they would manage life. The priest was always engaged in worship day and night, which often made his wife very irritated with him. She would even reprimand him. Due to this, the priest decided to go to a secluded place to pray. Four or five days passed, but the priest did not return home.

Meanwhile, the wife wondered where he had gone. She asked the neighborhood children if they had seen him. The children replied that yes, they had seen him; he was there praying day and night. The wife then told the children to bother him so that he would leave that place. When the children teased him, the poor priest packed his belongings and went to a secluded forest by a pond. There, he set up his seat.

When the priest's wife asked the children where he had gone, they said that they had troubled him, so he left. The priest went to bathe in the pond and left his clothes on the shore. While in the water, he saw a serpent's baby crawl into his clothes. The priest quickly picked up his clothes and took them home, snake and all. He told his daughter that something had been brought for her by their mother. The mother then reached into the belongings and pulled out a cloth, which, when shaken, revealed a golden ornament.

The priest wondered what would happen if the snake bit his wife and she died while he was absorbed in worship. When the wife saw the ornament, she was overjoyed. The priest was in a dilemma about what to do next. His wife prepared a feast to celebrate and they were happy.

Nearby was the house of a king. There was no one at the king's house except a lady. The priest's wife wore the ornament. When the lady saw the ornament, she said, "Dear Brahmin, that ornament does not suit you; give it to me. I will give you money." The priest's wife thought that it was of no use to her, so she agreed to sell it. She sold the ornament and began to live happily.

The lady put the ornament in a box and did not wear it. After six months, an invitation came from her parental home, and she was to go there. It was quite far away. She mounted her horse and set off. After they had traveled one or two leagues, she remembered that she had not taken the ornament. She wanted to send someone to fetch it. When the messenger went and opened the box, to their surprise, a baby boy was inside it. The messenger quickly grabbed him and brought him to the queen, who then asked, "Was he in this box?" The messenger replied, "Yes!" The queen thought that since she did not have any children, she would adopt him.

The queen took care of the boy. When he grew up, she arranged his marriage. After the marriage, she brought the bride home. An old woman came to advise the bride, telling her to ask her husband whose son he was. The old woman filled the bride's ears with this. The bride agreed and began to ask her husband, "Whose son are you? Tell me your father's name." The husband would respond, "What does that have to do with you?" Despite this, she insisted on knowing. The king then said, "If I tell you, you will never see me again." The queen still refused to agree.

She bothered her husband until he left her. Following that, the king said, "Alright, let's go. I will tell you," and took her to the pond. They sat by the pond, and the king waded into the water and said, "Are you still going to ask me whose son I am?" The queen replied, "Yes!" The king then said, "I am the son of a serpent." Saying this, he plunged into the water and did not come back up.

The queen cried out by the pond, lamenting that her husband had drowned there. She cried so much that four or five days passed. One day, Mahadev and Parvati were out for a stroll. When Parvati heard the queen's sorrowful wails, she felt compassion. Parvati told Mahadev that she wanted to go there. Mahadev advised her not to go, saying that there is suffering in the world. Still, she would not listen. Mahadev then sat down at a place.

Parvati asked the queen why she was crying and what her troubles were. The queen replied that her troubles would end if Mahadev removed them. If not, he too would have to sit here and cry like her. Parvati then asked her to tell her what her sorrow was, and she would alleviate it. The queen said that her husband had drowned in this pond, so please take him out. Parvati was unable to help with this. Eventually, she sat by the pond and began to cry as well.

Meanwhile, Mahadev looked on, realizing that frustration was building up. He saw that Parvati too was crying. He went over to ask them what the matter was. They both shared their troubles with him. Mahadev then told the queen that he would reveal a way for her to meet her husband.

He told her that half the night, a dance with spirits would take place here and that she should come at that time. Mahadev sat there with his trident, damaru, and ashes on his lap. They asked him for help. So saying, Mahadev and Parvati left. The queen also went during that time. After some time, she arrived to see that a dance was indeed happening. The queen approached Mahadev to ask about her husband, and he revealed that indeed he was present. The queen recognized her husband and brought him home with her. They both began to live happily together.