Ek gaon mein ek sahukar ke saat bete aur ek beti thi. Saato bhai aur bahan mein bahut pyaar tha. Karwa Chauth ke din sethani ne saato bahuon aur beti ke saath karwa chauth ka vrat rakha. Saato bhai hamesha apni bahan ke saath hi bhojan karte the. Us din bhi bhaiyon ne bahan ko khane ke liye bola to bahan boli, “Mera aaj Karwa Chauth ka vrat hai, isiliye chaand ugega tab hi khana khaungi.”

Bhaiyon ne socha ki bahan bhookhi rahegi isliye ek bhai ne diya liya aur ek bhai chhalni lekar pahadi par chadh gaya. Diya jalaakar chhalni se dhak kar kaha ki, “Bahan chaand ug gaya hai, argh dekar khana kha lo.” Bahan ne bhabiyon se kaha, “Bhabhi chaand dekh lo.” Bhabhi boli, “Baijee, ye chaand to aapke liye uga hai, aap hi dekh lo, hamara chaand to der raat ko ugega.” Bahan bhaiyon ke saath khana khane baith gayi.

Bhojan ka pehla kaur khane lagi to usme baal aa gaya, doosra kaur khane lagi to usme kankar aa gaya, teesra kaur khane lagi to sasural se bulawa aa gaya ki, “Beta bahut bimaar hai, bahu ko jaldi bhejo.” Maa ne beti ke kapde nikalne ke liye teen baar baksa khola to teeno baar hi safed kapde haath mein aaye. Ladki safed kapde hi pehen kar sasural ke liye rawana hone lagi.

Maa ne sone ka ek sikka uski saari ke pallu mein baandh diya aur kaha, “Raste mein sabke pair chhute hue jaana aur jo amar suhaag ka aashirwad de, usse yeh sikka dekar pallu mein ganth baandh dena.” Raste mein bahut logon ne aashish diye par amar suhaag ka aashirwad kisi ne bhi nahi diya. Sasural pahunchne par usne dekha ki palne mein jethuti (jeth ki ladki) jhool rahi thi. Uske pair chhune lagi to vah boli, “Seeli ho, sapooti ho, saat poot ki maa ho.” Yeh aashirwad sunte hi usne sone ka sikka nikal kar usse de diya aur pallu se ganth baandh li.

Ghar ke andar pravesh kiya to kamre mein pati ko mrit avastha mein paya. Usne pati ko le jaane nahi diya, vah apne mrit pati ko lekar rahne lagi aur pati ki seva karti rahi. Saasu bacha hua thanda baasi khana naukarani ke haath yeh keh kar bhijwati ki “Ja murda sevani ko khana de aa.” Kuch din baad maagh mahine ki til chauth aayi to usne mata se prarthna ki aur kaha, “Mata, mujhe meri galti ka pashchataap hai. Mujhe maaf kar do. Hey Chauth Mata! Mera suhaag mujhe lauta do. Mere pati ko jeevit kar do.”

Mata ne kaha, “Yeh mere haath mein nahi hai, Vaishakhi Chauth Mata tumhara suhaag lautayegi.” Vaishakhi Chauth par usne phir prarthna ki to maa ne kaha, “Bhadudi Chauth Mata tumhara suhaag tumhe degi.” Bhadudi Chauth Mata se prarthna karne par unhone kaha, “Sabse badi Kartik Chauth Mata ki narazgi ke karan tumhare saath yeh ho raha hai. Unhe prasann karne par hi tumhe jo chahiye milega.”

Kartik mahine mein Chauth Mata swarg se utri to gusse mein usse kehne lagi, “Bhaiyon ki bahan karwa le, din mein chaand ugani karwa le, vrat bhandani karwa le.” Usne Chauth Mata ke pair pakad liye aur vilaap karne lagi, “Hey Chauth Mata! Main naasamajh thi, isliye mujhse bhool hui. Mujhe itna bada dand mat do. Aap jag ki mata hain, sabki ichha poori karne wali hain. Meri bigadi banaao maa, mera suhaag lauta do, mere pati ko jeevit kar do.”

Mata ne khush hokar use amar suhaag ka aashirwad de diya. Uska pati utha aur bola, “Mujhe to bahut neend aayi thi.” Tab usne apne pati ko bataya ki vah barah mahine se uski seva kar rahi thi aur Chauth Mata ne uska suhaag use lautaaya hai.

Pati ne kaha, “Humein Chauth Mata ka udyapan karna chahiye.” Usne Chauth Mata ki kahani suni aur udyapan kar choorma banaya. Dono kha pi kar chaupad khelne lage. Naukarani khana lekar aayi to yeh dekh kar turant jaakar uski saasu ko bataya. Saasu ne aakar dekha to bahut khush hui. Bahu se pucha yeh sab kaise hua. Bahu ne saas ke pair chhue aur bataya ki yeh Chauth Mata ka aashirwad hai.

Sab log Chauth Mata ki kripa dekhkar bahut khush hue. Sabhi striyon ne pati ki deerghayu ke liye Chauth Mata ka vrat karne ka nishchay kiya.

Hey Chauth Mata! Jaisa sahukar ki beti ka suhaag amar kiya, waisa sabka karna. Kehne sunne walon ko, hunkara bharne walon ko sabko amar suhaag dena.