The story revolves around a king's beautiful and kind daughter and a poor farmer's boy who works for her, tending to the livestock. The farmer boy secretly loves the princess but struggles to express his feelings. One night, while he sleeps, the princess tries to wake him, but he mistakenly thinks it’s the cows playing with his blanket. The next day, he recites a couplet to express his love, and the princess responds with a couplet of her own, revealing her feelings. However, the moment slips away, and the princess leaves before the farmer boy fully comprehends her affection. He retreats into the forest, lamenting his lost chance at love. The story highlights themes of unexpressed emotions and missed opportunities.

एगो राजा हलन। उनका एके गो बेटी हल । ऊ बड़ी सुन्नर आउ दयालु हल। ओकरा हीं एगो गरीब अहीर के लइका नोकरी माँगे आयल तो राजा के बेटी ओकरा गाय-बैल के सान्हीं-पानी करे ला नोकर रख लेलक। ऊ गोरखिया बड़ी बढ़िया से सान्हीं-पानी करे, आउ कभी-कभी राजकुमारी के भी काम-धाम कर देवे । गत-गते गोरखिया राजकुमारी के रूप से मोहा गेल बाकि राजा के बेटी से ऊ बात कइसे करे? परेम के बात ओकरा कहे के हिम्मत न हो हल। ऊ रोज सोच-सोच के मन के बात मने में रखले रहे। एक दिन ओकरा से नऽ रहाय तो ऊ बुझौनियाँ में अप्पन बात कह देलक-

ऊपर कोठ झरोखे बइठे, बिजुली माँग फड़कती। एतना दिन हम सेवा कइली, कहिनो नयन पलटती।।

राजकुमारी गोरखिया के बात समझ गेल, आउ ओही रात गोसाला में गेल, जहाँ गोरखिया कम्मल ओढ़ के सूतल हल । राजकुमारी ओकर कम्मल खींचलक, बाकि ऊ कुछ नऽ बोलल। फिनो ऊ कम्मल के खींचलक। तइयो गोरखिया नऽ उठल। राजकुमारी जब ओकर ओढ़ना खींचे, तो ऊ कभी कारी बोल देबे, आउ कभी गोरी कह के सूत रहे। गोसाला में कारी-गोरी दू गो गाय हल । गोरखिया के लगे कि ओहनिये ओकर ओढ़नवा के खींच रहल हे। से ऊ फिनो निरभेद हो के सूत गेल, आउ राजकुमारी उहाँ से घुर के अप्पन महल में चल आयल। दोसर दिन गोरखिया राजकुमारी के देखलक तो ओही दोहा पढ़लक-

ऊपर कोठ झरोखे बइठे, बिजुली माँग फड़कती। एतना दिन हम सेवा कइली, कहिनो नयन पलटती।।

ई दोहा के उत्तर में राजकुमारी भी एगो दोसर दोहा कहलक-

रे अहिरा तू बनके बहिरा, का जाने रस चोरी। रात भर हम घूँघट तीरली, हा कारी, हा गोरी॥

गोरखिया के राते के बात इयाद आ गेल। ऊ अप्पन नासमझी पर बड़ा अफसोस कैलक, बाकि तब तक तो राजकुमारी बिजुली नियन उहाँ से निकल गेल हल। गोरखिया हाय राज कुमारी, हाय राजकुमारी करइत नोकरी छोड़ के जंगल में चल गेल आउ हाय कारी, हाय गोरी बकइत बने-बने घूमल चले। समय पर चूके से एही हो हे!

See translation

Once there was a king who had a beautiful and kind daughter. One day, a poor farmer's boy came to ask for a job, and the king's daughter took him on to tend to the cows and buffaloes. The farmer boy did his job very well and sometimes even helped the princess with her chores. Over time, he fell in love with the princess, but he couldn't muster the courage to speak to her. He kept thinking about his feelings every day but couldn't bring himself to express them.

One day, unable to hold back, he sat in a window and said: "Sitting in the upper room, lightning flashes.
For so many days I've served, yet you never look my way."

The princess understood the farmer boy's feelings and that night she went to the cowshed where he was sleeping wrapped in a blanket. She pulled at his blanket, but he didn't say anything. She pulled again, and still, he did not wake up. When she pulled on his blanket, he would sometimes refer to her as "dark" and sometimes as "fair," thinking that the cows were playing with his blanket. Eventually, he fell asleep again, and the princess returned to her palace.

The next day, when the farmer boy saw the princess, he recited the following couplet: "Sitting in the upper room, lightning flashes.
For so many days I've served, yet you never look my way."

In response to this couplet, the princess said another couplet: "Oh farmer, you act as if you are deaf; how would you know of love's theft?
All night I veiled myself, oh dark one, oh fair one."

The farmer boy remembered the events of the previous night and regretted his ignorance. However, by that time, the princess had already left like a flash of lightning. The farmer boy lamented, "Oh princess, oh princess," quit his job, and walked into the forest, crying, "Oh dark one, oh fair one." This is what happens when one misses their chance!