The story depicts a tale of rivalry and fate involving a king, his minister, and their respective sons. After the king unjustly executes the minister out of jealousy over their sons being born simultaneously, he continues this cruel pattern. Unbeknownst to the king, the minister’s wife gives birth to a son, who is raised by her family far from court life. This clever boy eventually crosses paths with the king’s son, leading to a series of encounters involving misunderstandings and clever wordplay that reflect deeper meanings.

When the king expresses a desire to meet the minister's son, the minister is initially at a loss but eventually brings his son to the palace. The king's son interrogates the minister's son about their previous meeting with the queen, intending to harm him out of rivalry. However, the minister’s son cleverly turns the situation around by explaining the meanings behind their interactions, revealing the king's son’s own ignorance and leading to the latter’s embarrassment. The story conveys themes of justice, cleverness, and the folly of jealousy.

एगो सहर में एगो राजा आउ ओकर वजीर रहऽ हलन। राजा वजीर के बड़ी मानऽ हलन। साइत के बात हे कि दूनो के एके समय में बेटा जलम लेलक । राजा के दुख होयल कि हमरे साथे वजीरो के काहे बेटा जलम लेलक। से ओकरा मँगा के मरवा देलक। ओकरा बाद वजीर के जब-जब बेटा होवे तब-तब रजवा मरवा देवे ! वजीर के अउरत एक दफे नइहर चल गेलन तो उहईं एगो बेटा जलम लेलक । एकरा न तो राजा जनलन आउ न वजीरे जनलन। ऊ लड़का मामुए हीं रह के पोसाय लगल आउ बड़ा बुधगर निकलल।

जब ऊ लड़का बड़ा होल तो एक दिन बाहर निकलल । राजा के लड़का भी घूमे ला निकलल हल। साइत से दूनो एगो सहर में अगले-बगल डेरा डाल के ठहरल हलन। एक दिन ऊ सहर के रानी के लउँड़ी रानी ला तीन पइसा के तीन सौदा लावे ला गेल। बजार में घूम के ऊ जाइत हले, ओकरा कोई सौदा न मिलल हल, से ऊ बुदबुदाइत जाइत हल कि अइसन बजार में आग लगे कि तीन पइसा के सौदा न मिलल। ई बात वजीर के लइका सुनलक आउ ओकरा जा के सौदा खरीद देलक। रानी लउँड़ी से पूछलक कि - ''तूं अपने से खरीदले हैं कि केकरो से खरीदवैले हैं, इया बनिया अपने मन से देलकउ हे?'’ लउँड़ी सब कहानी कह सुनौलक।

रानी कहलक कि ''जो, ऊ अदमी के हमरा ही नेवता माँग लाव!'' लउँड़ी जा के कहलक तऽ वजीर के लड़का कहलक कि ''जो, पूछ लाव कि ऊ खड़ी हे कि पड़ी हे?'’ लउँड़ी रानी भीर जा के ई बात कहलक। रानी कहलक कि ''जा के कह आव कि रानी खड़ा हथ!'' वजीर के लइका नेवता कबूल कर लेलन, आउ लउँड़ी के रानी फिनो भेजलक कि ''जा के पूछ आव कि कखनी अवतन?'’ लउँड़ी पूछ के फिन कहलक कि कहकथुन हे कि ''घर के आउ बाहर के टट्टी टूट जतई, आउ घटवार के कुत्ता भी सूत जतई तऽ ओही घड़ी हम आयम !'' ई सुन के रानी लउँड़ी के फिनो भेजलक कि ''पूछ के आव कि कउन भेस बना के अवतन?'’ लउड़ी के पुछला पर वजीर के बेटा कहलक कि ''लाखों के गिरा के, बीस के काट के, दो पर चढ़ के, एक के साथे आयम!'' लउँड़ी जा के एही रानी के बात कह देलक।

ओन्‍ने रजवा के बेटवा ई सब बात सुनइत हल । ऊ सोंचलक कि एकरा से पहिले हमही न चल जाऊँ? ऊ रात के समय से पहिले चल गेल। जा के केंवाड़ी ठुकठुकनौलक तो ऊ खुल गेल । रानी ओकरा अप्पन महल में ले गेल। उहाँ दू पलंग बिछल हल। एगो पर मोम के आउ दोसर पर कपूर के बाती बरइत हल। रानी कहलक कि ''अपन पलंग पर बइठवे तो ठीक हे, न तो हमर पलंग पर बइठवऽ, तो दू तमाचा दे के बाहर कर देबवऽ!'' राजा के बेटा ओकर पलंग पर बइठ गेल आउ तमाचा खा के बाहर भे गेल। कहल बेरा पर वजीर के बेटा आयल, रानी के महल में गेल आउ रानी फिनो ओही सवाल कयलक। वजीर के लड़का अप्पन पलंग पर बइठ गेल, आउ दूनो ऐस आराम कयलन। अन्हारे वजीर के बेटा चललक, तो अपन चादर के दस टुकड़ा कर देलक आउ रानी भी अपन सारी के दस टुकड़ा कर देलक। राजा के बेटा ई सब खिड़की से देखइत हल।

दूनो जब एके जगुन पहुँचलन, तो राजा के लइका ओकर ठाँव-पता पूछलक । वजीर के लड़का अपन बाप आउ राजा के सब कहानी कह सुनौलक आउ अपन घर के सब ठाँव-पता बता देलक। सुन के राजा के बेटा के बड़ी दुख भेल । घरे आन के बाप से कहलक कि वजीर के लइका के हमरा हिऔं बोला दऽ। बेटा के बात सुन के राजा घबरयलक कि ओकरा तो एको लइके न हेऽ। कहाँ से बोलावल जायत। बाकि राजा वजीर से बोला के कहलक कि- '’तूं अपन बेटा के आठ रोज में न बोलैबें, तो तोरा गड़हारा भरा देवउ !'' वजीर आन के घरे सूत रहलक। ओकर औरतिया पूछलक कि आज काहे आन के सूत गेलऽ? वजीर सब हाल कह सुनौलक। औरतिया कहलक कि दुखी मत होवऽ ! हमरा अप्पन लड़का हे। हम ओकरा बोला दे ही! चिट्ठी लिख के ऊ नइहर से लड़का के बोला लेलक । तब लड़कावा के आ गेला पर मइया सब कहानी कह सुनौलक, तो ओकर बेटा राजा के इहाँ गेल । राजा ओकरा अप्पन बेटा के पास भेज देलक। जइसहीं दूनो मिललन कि वजीर के लइका घबड़ा गेल । राजा के लड़का कहलक कि ''डेरा मत! हम जे पूछ हीवऽ सेकर जबाव दऽ !'' राजा के लइका परदेस के सहर में रानी आउ लउँड़ी के साथ जे-जे सवाल-जबाव होयल हल से सब पूछलक। वजीर के लइका ओकर कोई सवाल के जबाब न देलक तब राजा ओकरा फाँसी के सजाय देलक। फँसियरवा कहलक कि ''बता न काहे देइत हहूँ? जान काहे ला देइत हऽ?'’ तब ऊ बतावे ला तैयार हो गेल, आउ राजा के पास आयल आउ कहलक कि करखाही हाँड़ी आउ चुना मँगावऽ। हुकुम के साथ दूनो चीज आ गेल । वजीर के बेटा कहलक कि ''ई हाँड़ी तोर कपार हे। हम जै सवाल के जबाब देव ओतने टीका हम एकरा में चूना के दे देम ।'’ राजा के बेटा तइयार हो गेलक।

वजीर के बेटा कहे लगलक - ''तरमीठ गड़ी होवऽ हे। ऊपर मीठ किसमिस हे । घर-घर मीठ नीमक हे!'' हाँड़ी में एक टीका लग गेल ! फिनो वजीर के बेटा कहे लगलक कि ''खड़ी के माने होवऽ हे कि जे अउरत अभी मरद के पास गवना में आयल हे, बाकि ओकरा कोई लड़का न होयल हे। पड़ी के माने लरकोर होवऽ हे!'' दूसर टीका लगा के फिनो कहलक कि ''घर के टट्टी टूट गेल के माने घर के लोग सूत गेलन । बाहर के ट्टी टूट गेल के माने हे कि बाहर के लोग सूत गेलन। घटवार के कुत्ता सूत जायत के माने हे कि चौकीदार पहरेदार सूत जायत तब हम आयम !'’ फिनो हाँड़ी में एगो टीका लग गेल। लाख के गिरा के, बीस के काट के दो पर चढ़ के आउ एक के साथ आवे के माने हे कि दाढ़ी-मोछ बना के, बीसों नौह टूंगा के, दूनों पैर में जूता पहिन के आउ एगो छड़ी ले के आयम। मोम के बत्ती रानी ला आउ कपूर के बत्ती मरद ला हल। दूनो दस-दस टुकड़ा अप्पन कपड़ा के कयलन हल। ओकर अरथ हे कि हमनी के कोई काट के दस-दस टुकड़ा कर देत तइयो ई बात हम केकरो से न कहब! ई तरह सब सवाल के जबाव बता देल गेल आउ हाँड़ी में ओतने टीका दे देल गेल । वजीर के बेटा कहलक कि राजा के बेटा हो के भी ई सब सवाल के जबाव न जानऽ हलऽ। एतना सुन के राजा के बेटा लाजे कन्नी खा के झमा गेलन।

See translation

Once upon a time, there was a king and his minister in a city. The king had great respect for his minister. It so happened that both of them had sons born at the same time. The king felt sad that why did the minister's son have to be born alongside his. He summoned the minister and had him executed. Afterward, whenever the minister had a son, the king would have him killed! One time, the minister's wife went to her parental home and there she gave birth to a son. Neither the king nor the minister knew about this. The boy was raised by his maternal uncle and grew up to be very clever.

When the boy grew older, he went out one day. The king's son had also gone out to roam. By coincidence, both of them settled in the same city. One day, the boy went to buy three things for the queen, which cost three paisa. As he roamed in the market, he didn't find anything to buy, and he muttered to himself that there should be a fire in such a market where not even a single deal could be made for three paisa. This was overheard by the minister's son, who went and bought the items for him. The queen asked the girl, “Did you buy these yourself or did someone give them to you?” The girl narrated the whole story.

The queen said, “Well, invite that man to come to us!” When the girl went and told the minister's son, he asked, “Ask her if he is standing or lying down?” The girl returned and conveyed this to the queen. The queen responded, “Go and tell him that the queen is standing!” The minister's son accepted the invitation, and the girl went back to ask, “When will he come?” Upon asking, the minister's son said, “When the excrement of both the inside and outside breaks, and the watchman's dog also lies down, then I will come at that moment!” Hearing this, the queen again sent the girl to ask, “In what guise will he come?” When the girl asked, the minister's son said, “When I come after falling from millions, cutting twenty, riding on two, and coming with one!” The girl went back and told the queen this.

The king's son was listening to all this. He thought, why should I not go before him? He went before nightfall. When he knocked, the door opened. The queen took him to her palace. There, two beds were spread. One had a candle of wax and the other had a lamp of camphor. The queen said, “It's fine if you sit on your own bed, but if you sit on mine, then I'll slap you twice and throw you out!” The king's son sat on her bed and ended up getting slapped and thrown out. Just then, the minister's son arrived, entered the queen's palace, and the queen asked him the same questions. The minister's son sat on his own bed, and they both relaxed like that. When the minister's son left, he tore his blanket into ten pieces, and the queen also tore her sari into ten pieces. The king's son was watching all this from the window.

When both of them reached the same place, the king's son asked for the location of the minister's son. The minister's son told everything about his father and the king, and provided all the details of his house. Hearing this, the king's son felt very sad. He returned home and told his father to invite the minister's son over. Upon hearing his son's words, the king got worried that he did not have any sons of his own. Where could he call him from? However, the king told the minister, “If you don't call your son over in eight days, then I will have you thrown in prison!” The minister went home and was asleep. His wife asked him why he was so troubled today. The minister narrated the whole situation. His wife said, “Don’t be sad! I have my son. I will call him!” She wrote a letter and summoned the boy from her parental home. When the boy arrived, his mother told him the entire story, and then he went to the king. The king sent him to his son. As soon as they met, the minister's son panicked. The king's son said, “Don’t be afraid! Answer what I ask!” The king's son asked about all the interactions that had happened with the queen and the girl in the foreign city. The minister's son could not answer any of the questions, and so the king sentenced him to be hanged. The one sentenced said, “Why won’t you tell me? Why are you ready to lose your life?” Then he agreed to explain and went to the king, saying, “Bring me a cooking pot and lime.” With the command, both things arrived. The minister's son said, “This pot is your head! I will give a pinch of lime for every question I answer.”

The king's son got prepared. The minister's son then stated, “The meaning of 'standing' is that a woman has come to the man in marriage, but she has not had a child. The meaning of 'lying down' means to have a child!” Another pinch was added, and he stated, “The meaning of 'the excrement inside the house broke' is that the people of the house have slept. The meaning of 'the excrement outside broke' is that the people outside have slept. The meaning of 'the watchman's dog lies down' is that the watchman has fallen asleep, then I will come!” Another pinch was added to the pot. The meaning of “falling from millions, cutting twenty, riding on two, and coming with one” is that I will come with a beard and moustache trimmed, wearing shoes on both feet, and carrying a stick. Wax candles are for the queen and camphor candles were for the man. Both tore their clothes into ten pieces each. This means that if someone cut us into ten pieces, we still would not tell anyone! In this way, all the questions were answered, and the same number of pinches were added to the pot. The minister's son said that even being the king's son, he did not know the answers to all these questions. Upon hearing this, the king's son felt ashamed and was left embarrassed.