The story contrasts the lives and values of a greedy king and a selfless cobbler. The king, obsessed with wealth and power, exploits his subjects and invades weaker kingdoms to fill his treasury, yet he remains unsatisfied. In contrast, the cobbler leads a modest life, making and selling shoes while generously sharing with the needy, often at the expense of his own family's well-being. Upon their simultaneous deaths, the cobbler is honored by Yama, the god of death, while the king suffers for his deeds. The cobbler, empathizing with the king’s plight, chooses to share his merits, allowing both to ascend to heaven together. The story illustrates the moral that true worth is determined by one's actions, not by wealth.

एगो राजा हलन बाकि उनका में राजा के कोई लूर गुन न हले। ऊ दिन-रात हाय धन के फेरा में पड़ल रहऽ हलन । परजा से मालगुजारी असूल करके खजाना भरले हलन। कभी-कभी दोसरे कमजोर राजा पर चढ़ाई करके अन्न-धन्न. सोना लूट ले हलन । उनकर खजाना चाँदी-सोना से भर गेल तइयो उनका सनतोख न भेल।

उनके राज में एगो चमार रहऽ हल। ऊ रोज दू जोड़ा जूता बनावऽ हले। एक जोड़ा बेच के ओकरा जे कुछ मिले ओकरे से अपने आउ परिवार के खरचा चलावऽ हले । ओकर जूता बड़ी बढ़ियाँ रहऽ हले। गरीब-गुरबा आउ साधू-महात्मा के जूता न रहे तो ऊ चमरा भिर चल जाथ आउ कभी-कभी ओकरा दूनो जूता दान में देवे परे । से ऊ अप्पन परिवार साथे भुखले रह जा हल ।

संयोग से बूढ़ा हो गेला पर चमार आउ राजा एके तुरी मर गेलन । राजा के लेवे ला जमदूत आयल आउ उनका काँटे कुसे घसीट के ले जाय लगल, आउ चमरा ला जमराज सिंहासन लेके अयलन आउ कहलन कि तू एकरा पर बइठ के बैकुण्ठ में चलऽ । चमार कहलक कि हम्मर राजा के भी हमरा साथे सिंहासन पर ले चलऽ ! तब जमराज कहलन कि इहाँ राजा-परजा, नीच-ऊँच आउ जात-पात के कोई भेद न देखल जा हे । जे जइसन करऽ हे, ओकरा ओइसने फल मिलऽ हे । राजा के खजाना सोना से भरल हे, तो ऊ सोना के सिंहासन पर न जयतन । एने राजा के घसटाइत आउ चिल्लाइत देख के चमरा के बड़ा मोह लगे। से ऊ जमराज से कहलक कि जब तक राजा सिंहासन पर हमरे साथै बैकुण्ठ न जयतन, तब तक हमहुँ न जायब । तब जमराज कहलन कि इहाँ अदमी धन से वैकुण्ठ न जा हे । तोरा राजा के अपना साथ ले हीं चले ला हवऽ, तब अप्पन कमाई के पुण्य फल आधा उनका दे दऽ। चमरा कहलक कि हम्मर तो ई कामे हे । तुरत चित्रगुप्त बोलावल गेलन आउ चमरा के आधा कमाई राजा के खाता में लिख देवल गेल। फिन राजा आउ चमार दूनो एके सिंहासन पर चढ़के वैकुण्ठ चल गेलन । ठीके न कहल गेल हे कि करनी भल न होवे, त सोना सब माटी हे !

See translation

Once there was a king, but he had no good qualities. Day and night he was obsessed with the pursuit of wealth. He filled his treasury by collecting taxes from his subjects. Occasionally, he would invade other weaker kingdoms to loot grain, valuables, and gold. Even when his treasury was overflowing with silver and gold, he was never satisfied.

In his kingdom lived a cobbler who made two pairs of shoes every day. He sold one pair and used the money to support himself and his family. His shoes were of great quality. Whenever the poor and ascetics came to him without shoes, he would often give one or both pairs away as donations. Because of this, he often went hungry with his family.

By coincidence, both the old cobbler and the king died at the same time. The messengers of death came for the king and began pulling him away by thorns, while Yama, the god of death, arrived to take the cobbler to his throne and said, "You may sit here and go to heaven." The cobbler replied, "Take my king along with me to the throne!" Then Yama replied, "Here, there is no distinction between king and subject, low and high, or caste. Everyone receives the fruit of their actions as they deserve. The king's treasury is filled with gold, but he will not sit on a throne made of gold." Seeing the king being dragged and screaming, the cobbler became very empathetic. So, he told Yama that he would not go to heaven until the king was taken to the throne with him. Then Yama said, "Here, a person does not go to heaven because of wealth. You must take your king with you, and in return, share half of your earned merit with him." The cobbler said, "I am indeed ready to do that." Immediately, Chitragupta was called, and half of the cobbler's earnings were recorded in the king's account. Then both the king and the cobbler ascended the same throne and went to heaven together. It is rightly said that if one's deeds are not good, then all the gold is like dust!