The story revolves around a young prince who, after the death of his father, seeks to understand and confront a looming calamity that he learns is destined to strike him. After consulting his mother, he chooses to face this misfortune in his youth. Following a series of hardships, including losing his kingdom and fleeing from his family, he ends up serving in his in-law's court under the name "Chhootukna," unbeknownst to his wife.

As he recalls his past while telling a story to the princess, she recognizes him and reveals his identity to her father, prompting a transformation back into his royal status. The calamity he faced is lifted, leading to a restoration of his wealth and power. The story concludes with the prince happily reuniting with his mother and finding relief from adversity, showcasing themes of resilience, identity, and the restoration of fortune.

एगो राजा आउ एगो रानी हलन। कुछ दिना के बाद उनका एगो बेटा जनमल । फिनो राजा मर गेलन । राजकुमार माय के साथे रहे लगलन। होस हवास होयला पर दरबार देखे लगलन। एक तुरी राजकुमार भोरे पखाना गेलन, आउ कुली-कमाली करे एगो कुआँ पर गेलन। कुआँ में लोटा-डोरी डाललन, तो ओकरा में बिपत रहऽ हल । ऊ लोटा-डोरी धर लेलकइन, तब राज कुमार पूछलन कि अपने के ही, आउ का चाहऽ ही? ऊ बोलल कि हम विपत ही आउ तोरा पर हम एक दिन सवार होववऽ । तू अखनी चाहइत हऽ, कि जवानी में इया बुढ़ारी में! राज कुमार कहलन कि हम माय से पूछ के जबाब देबवऽ। राजकुमार घरे आन के माय से पूछलन तो माय कहकथिन कि लइकाई आउ बुढ़ारी में तो बड़ा तकलीफ होतवऽ। ई से जवनिये में कह देहुन। राजकुमार कुआँ पर जा के कहऽ देलन कि हमरा पर जवानी में सवार होऊँ। विपत लोटा-डोरी छोड़ देलक आउ राजकुमार घरे आन के कचहरी करे लगलन।

कुछ समय में उनकर बिआह हो गेल, आउ ऊ जवान हो गेलन। बिआह होयते उनका पर विपत सवार हो गेल। राजकुमार कचहरी में बइठले हलन, कि उहाँ सिपाही लोग कहलन, कि हमरा हिसाब कर दऽ, हमनी के पेट नऽ भरइत हे, घरे जायब। दाई-नोकर सब अइसहीं कहलन, आउ अप्पन-अप्पन घरे चल गेलन। एक-एक कर के राजकुमार के सब गाँव-गिराँव बिक गेल, आउ ऊ अब अप्पन मतारी के छोड़ के भाग चललन।

गाँव से बाहर आ के अपन पोखरा पर ठहरलन। ऊ पोखरा में कभी पानी न सूखऽ हल, बाकि ओमें आज एक्को ठोप पानी नऽ लौकल। उहाँ से सोचइत आगे बढ़लन। फिन अप्पन बहिन हीं गेलन, आउ गाँव के बहरी एगो कुआँ पर दाई से कहलन कि जा के हम्मर बहिन के भेज दऽ । दाई आ के रानी से कहलक, तो ऊ बिगड़ के कहकथिन कि हम्मर भाई पैदल न चले। ऊ तो हाथी-घोड़ा पर चल हथ। फिन रानी बोल-भूक के दाई के माठा-पीठा खाय ला देलक। दाई बेचारी अप्पन हिस्सा में से ला के कुआँ पर राजकुमार के देलक आउ कहलक कि तोरा बारे में कहे पर हमहीं रानी से दू-चार झाडू पिटैली। बेचारा राजकुमार कलप के थरिया ले लेलन आउ कहलन कि हे धरती माताए फटऽ! धरती फट गेल आउ राजकुमार ओकरे में माठा-पीठा ना देलन। फिन धरती जुट गेल, आउ ऊ दाई के थरिया दे देलन।

राजकुमार आगे बढ़लन । जाइत-जाइत ऊ गाँव में आ गेलन, जहाँ उनकर ससुराल हल। गाँव से बहरिये खरिहान में से चुन के अनाज खाय लगलन, तो एगो आदमी देखलक आउ कहलक कि, तूं जे चुन-चुन के अनाज फाँकइत चलऽ हऽ, राजा से कहऽ तो कुछ नोकरी दे देथुन। खाय-पीये के अराम हो जतवऽ! सुन के राजकुमार राजा के पास गेलन, आउ नोकरी ला आरजू कयलन। राजा साहेब उनका सानी-पानी करे ला रख लेलन। राजकुमार सान्ही-पानी करे लगलन, आउ मजे से खाय-पीये लगलन।

राजकुमार के सबेरे भूख लग जाय, तो रानी से जा के कहथ कि हमरा थोड़ा-सा माँड़े-भात दे दीहुँ! रानी उनका रोज थोड़ा माँड़-भात दे देथ। माँड़-भात देवे ओला उनकर मेहररुये हलन, जे उनकर नाम छूटुकना रख देलन। ऊ नऽ चीन्ह हलन, कि ई हमर मरदाना हथ, से ऊ ओकरा ? छूटुकना कहऽ के चाल करथ।

एक दिन राज कुमारी छूटुकना से कथा कहे कहलन । छूटुकना कथा कहे लगल। कथा में अप्पन सब हाल कह सुनौलक। नाव-गाँव सुन के राजकुमारी जान गेलन, कि ई हम्मर मरद हथ, आउ जोर-जोर से रोवे लगलन। ई सुन के राजकुमारी के बाप भी उहाँ आ गेलन, आउ छूटुकना से तेल माँगलन। ऊ तेल लगावे लगल, तो राजा पूछलन कि ओकरा से का कह देलहीं, कि ऊ रोवे लगल। छूटुकना राजा से भी ओही अप्पन कहानी कह सुनौलक। राजा के भी नाव-गाँव सुन के आँख से आँसू आ गेल, आउ तेल लगाना छोड़ा देलन। फिन राजा नउआ के बोला के उनकर हर-हजामत बनबौलन, आउ नेहा-धोआ के राजसी पोसाक पेन्हवलन। इहाँ से उनका पर से विपत उतर गेल।

कुछ दिना के बाद दूनो बेकती हाथी-घोड़ा, लाव-लसकर के साथे घरे चललन, तो बहिन के गाँव में कुआँ पर रुकलन आउ दाई से खबर देलन, तो बहिन दउड़ल आयल। राजा धरती के फाटे कहलन तो धरती फाट गेल, आउ माठा-पीठा ज्यों-के-त्यों मिलल। बहिन देख के छाती-मुक्का मार के ओहिजे मर गेलन। फिनो राजकुमार अप्पन रानी के ले के अप्पन घरे चल अयलन। इहाँ फिनसे अन्न-धन सोना पहिलहीं नियन हो गेल। राज-पाट भी मिल गेल। राजकुमार माय के साथे खुसी-खुसी रहे लगलन। अइसहीं एक रोज सब के विपत से छुटकारा मिलऽ हे।

See translation

Once there was a king and a queen. After some time, they had a son. Then the king passed away. The young prince stayed with his mother. As he grew up, he began to visit the court. One day, the prince went to relieve himself and went to a well where the laborers were working. He lowered a ladle and a rope into the well, and something ominous was present there. When he held onto the ladle and the rope, the prince asked what it wanted. It replied that it was a calamity and that one day it would ride over him. Did he want it to happen in youth or in old age? The prince said he would answer after asking his mother. When the prince returned home and asked his mother, she said that both youth and old age bring great troubles, and he should make a decision in youth. The prince went back to the well and said that he wanted the calamity to ride over him in his youth. The calamity released the ladle and rope, and the prince returned home and began to rule.

After some time, he got married and grew into adulthood. As soon as he got married, calamity struck him. The prince was sitting in the court when the soldiers said that they needed a salary because they were not filled and would go home. The maidservants all said the same, and they all returned home one by one. The prince lost all his villages and was left to flee from his mother.

He stepped out of the village and stayed by his pond. The pond never dried up, but today there was not a single drop of water in it. Thinking deeply, he moved forward. Then he went to his sister and asked a maid to send his sister to him. When the maid went and told the queen, she angrily said that her brother should not walk on foot. He goes on an elephant or horse. Then the queen ordered the maid to fetch food for her. The poor maid brought some food from her portion at the well for the prince, and said that when she mentioned him, she received a beating from the queen. The poor prince wept and said, "Oh Mother Earth, split open!" The earth split, and the prince did not give the food. Then the earth closed again, and he returned the plate to the maid.

The prince moved forward. As he was going, he reached a village, which was his in-law's village. While choosing grains from the fields outside the village, a man saw him and said, "The way you are picking grains, go tell the king, and he might give you a job. You will have comfort in food!" Hearing this, the prince went to the king and requested for a job. The king accepted him to serve. The prince began to serve and enjoyed eating and drinking.

Whenever the prince felt hungry in the morning, he would go to the queen and ask her for a little rice and lentils. The queen would give him a little rice and lentils every day. His wife, who was serving the meals, named him "Chhootukna" (the little one). She did not recognize him, since he was her husband, and so she would call him "Chhootukna."

One day, the princess asked Chhootukna to tell a story. Chhootukna began to narrate. In the story, he shared everything about his life. Upon hearing his name and village, the princess realized that this was her husband and began to cry loudly. Hearing this, the princess's father also came there and asked Chhootukna for oil. As he started to apply the oil, the king asked what he had told Chhootukna that made him cry. Chhootukna then shared his story with the king. Upon hearing his name and village, the king's eyes filled with tears, and he stopped the oil application. The king then called for the barbers to give him a clean shave, and he dressed him in royal attire. Thus, calamity fell away from him.

After a few days, both individuals, on elephant and horse with much pomp, returned home, and they stopped at the well in his sister’s village. Upon hearing the news, his sister ran over. When the king called for the earth to split, the earth split open, and the food returned as it was. The sister, upon seeing this, fell down and died right there. Then the prince brought his queen and returned home. Here, the wealth and grains became as it was before. The royal power was restored. The prince happily stayed with his mother. In this way, everyone found relief from calamity one day.