The story revolves around two siblings, Fate and Effort, who argue about who is greater. To settle the dispute, they agree to take an exam. Effort, disguised as a woodcutter, seeks an audience with the king but faces various setbacks. After a series of misunderstandings, including the king gifting him a red lamp and later giving him minimal money, Effort's luck changes when he retrieves both the lamp and the stolen bag of money after a commotion involving a neighbor. Ultimately, the story illustrates the theme that when fate aligns correctly, one’s efforts can lead to positive outcomes.

तकदीर आउ तदबीर दू गो भाई हलन। दूनो भाई अपने में लड़े लगलन कि हमनी में कउन बड़ा ही। तकदीर कहलक कि हम बड़ा ही। तदबीर कहलक कि हम बड़ा ही। दूनो के लड़इत देख के तेसर कहलक कि तोहनी में से परीक्षा में जे पास कर जायत, वही बड़ा मानल जायत। फिन ओहनी के परीक्षा शुरू भेल।

तदबीर लकड़हारा बन के राजा के पास लकड़ी के बोझा ले के चलल। दरबान लकड़हारा के देख के कहलक कि तू सीधे राजा के पास मत जाे! ढेर देरी तक बतकुच्चन के बाद लकड़हारा राजा के पास चल गेल। राजा ओकर गरीबी देख के एगो लाल दिया देलन। ऊ ले के चल आयल। राह में सोचलक कि ई पत्थल, राजा जी लइका के खेलौना देलन हे। हाथ में उलट-पलट के देखइत हल कि एगो चिल्ह झपट्टा मार के ले भागल। चिल्ह ओही लकड़हारा के घर में ताड़ के पेड़ पर खोता लगौले हल, जेकरा में लाल रख देलक।

दोसर दिन फिन लकड़हारा राजा के पास गेल। राजा समझलन कि ई लाल के कीमत न जानल हे। से ओकरा पाँच सौ रोपेआ दिया देलन। ऊ रोपेआ ले के जाइत हल, आउ सोचइत हल कि राजा हमरा सितुहा देलन हे। एकरा से हमरा का होयत? लकड़हारा घरे ले जा के रुपेया थैली में रख देलक।

पड़ोसी लोग पूछलन कि आज राजाजी का देलकथुन हे? ऊ कहलक कि राजा जी सितुहा देलकथुन हे, उका रखल हव। मेहररुआ देखलक तो थैली नऽ हे। कारन एगो पड़ोसी थैली उठाके चल देलक।

तेसर दिन लकड़हारा फिन राजा हीं गेल। राजा देख के बोललन कि ई महामूरख हे। फिनो ओकरा एक रोपेआ के खाली पइसा भंजा के दे देलन। ऊ खुस होके सब पइसा लेके घरे आयल, ओकरा बाद बाजार गेल। चना, चाउर, चबेनी आउ मछरियो लेके घरे आयल। अवरतिया कहलक कि ई मछरी काहे ला लवलऽ हे? पकयबे कउची से? लकड़हरवा कहलक कि उका तार के खऊँका है। लकड़हारा तार के खउँका तुड़े ला पेड़ पर चढ़ल, तो ऊ देखलक कि ओकर लाल रखल हे। ऊ हल्ला कयलक कि चोर पकड़ली चोर पकड़ली! ई बात रोपइया चोरावे ओला पड़ोसी सुनलक, तो रोपेआ समेत थैला फेंक देलक, कि लइकवा ले गेलवऽ हल। ताड़ पर से लाल उतारलक। अब ऊ रोपेआ, लाल सब कुछ चिन्ह गेल, आउ मजे में रहे लगल। तकदीर ठीक होयला पर सब कुछ ठीक हो गेल।

See translation

Fate and Effort were two brothers. Both brothers began to argue about who was greater. Fate claimed that he was greater, while Effort also insisted that he was greater. Seeing them fight, a third brother suggested that whoever passes the exam among them will be considered the greatest. Then their examination began.

Effort disguised himself as a woodcutter and went to the king with a load of wood. The doorkeeper told the woodcutter not to go directly to the king! After much delay and chat, the woodcutter finally approached the king. Seeing his poverty, the king gave him a red lamp. He took it with him and thought that this is a toy for the king's child. While flipping it over in his hand, a kite swooped down and snatched it away. The kite had made its nest on a palm tree in the woodcutter's house, where it had placed the red lamp.

The next day, the woodcutter went back to the king. The king realized that he didn't understand the value of the red lamp. Therefore, he gave him five hundred rupees. As he was leaving with the money, he thought that the king had given him a little bit of money. What would that do for him? The woodcutter took the rupees home and placed them in a bag.

The neighbors asked him what the king had given that day. He replied that the king had given him a little money and that he had kept it. When his wife looked, there was no bag. One of the neighbors had taken the bag away.

On the third day, the woodcutter went back to the king again. Seeing him, the king said, "This man is a great fool." He then gave him a single rupee in worthless coins. Happy, the woodcutter took all the money home and then went to the market. He bought chickpeas, rice, some vegetables, and fish. His wife asked, "Why did you bring the fish? How will we cook it?" The woodcutter replied that he was going to make a fishing line. To make the fishing line, he climbed a tree, and there he saw that his red lamp was there. He shouted, "Thief! Thief!" Hearing this, the neighbor, who had stolen the bag, dropped the bag with the rupees, thinking he had stolen from the boy. He took the red lamp from the tree. Now, the woodcutter recognized everything—the rupees, the lamp—and began to enjoy himself. Once Fate aligned properly, everything fell into place.