The story concerned a man named Gimil-Ninurta, 'poor and lowly', living in the city of Nippur. He had no silver or gold, and his face was pinched for want of food and drink. Finally he decided to sell his clothes and buy a goat.
He could have eaten the goat himself, but to feast alone was a grave social offence, and he still lacked the beer which guests would expect.

Thinking the matter over, he concluded that the best plan would be to present the goat to the Mayor, on the principle, no doubt, that once he had gained the Mayor's goodwill he would profit by his gift many times over.

But things did not work out in that way. The Mayor kept the goat, but then flew into a rage, accusing, Gimil-Ninurta of attempted bribery, and had him shown to the door. Gimil-Ninurta was understandably annoyed and, through the gate-keeper, promised the Mayor to pay him for the insult three times over.
But this seemed an empty threat and, as the text says, 'When the Mayor heard (this) he laughed all day.'

Gimil-Ninurta went straight off to the King, kissed- the ground before him, and made his request. He asked that the King should lend him a chariot for a single day, in return for which he would give a mina of gold.

The King agreed, and Gimil-Ninurta was provided with a chariot and a robe as though he had been a nobleman. Gimil-Ninurta then made his way back to the residence of the Mayor of Nippur, taking with him an empty treasure-chest.
The Mayor came out to welcome the supposed royal messenger, who claimed to be taking gold to the temple for the King. In the middle of the night Gimil-Ninurta got up, opened his treasure chest, and set up an outcry that he had been robbed. He set upon the Mayor so violently that the latter finally gave him two minas of gold in settlement for that which had supposedly been stolen within his house.

As Gimil-Ninurta drove off in his chariot he told the gate-keeper: 'Tell your master, "I have settled one score with you.

Gimil-Ninurta now took himself to have his head shaved and, thus disguised, returned to the Mayor's residence and made himself out to be a doctor from the city of Isin. He was admitted, and the Mayor showed him the bruises he had received from the supposed royal messenger.

The bedside manner of the bogus doctor apparently inspired confidence, and when he told the Mayor that his cures worked best in darkness the Mayor took him into a private room.
Gimil-Ninurta, who had brought with him, as part of his supposed medical equipment, a vessel of water and fire in some form, poured the water over the fire and in the resulting darkness trussed up the Mayor and beat him up. He then left, remarking to the gate-keeper as he went that he had settled the second score.

By now, however, the Mayor had put two and two together and realised that the man who had given him the goat was behind his recent troubles, and gave orders to all his staff to keep a special watch for the fellow. Knowing this, Gimil-Ninurta hid himself under a bridge near the Mayor's residence, and arranged for a man to shout 'Here is the man with the goat.' The whole of the Mayor's staff went rushing off to catch 'the man with the goat', leaving the Mayor alone. Gimil-Ninurta jumped out from his hiding-place, grabbed the Mayor, and gave him his third beating up.

Satisfied that justice had now been done, Gimil-Ninurta went off to the country, leaving the unfortunate Mayor more dead than alive.