An Honest Wood Cutter

An Honest Wood Cutter

Once there lived a poor woodcutter. He used to cut trees in the woods. One day he was cutting wood on the bank of a river. His axe fell down into the river. The river was deep. He could not take his axe out. He sat on the bank and began to weep.

Mercury, the god of water appeared. He asked the reason of his weeping. The woodcutter told Him the whole story. Mercury dived into the water and brought a golden axe. The woodcutter refused to take it. Mercury again dived and brought a silver axe. The woodcutter did not take it either. Then he brought an iron axe. The woodcutter took it gladly. Mercury was much pleased. He rewarded the woodcutter with the other two axes.

 

OR,

There lived a woodcutter in a village. One, clay he was Cutting wood in the jungle near a pond. Suddenly his axe fell into the pond. The pond was very deep and, the woodcutter did not know how to swim or dive. So, he was sitting there with a heavy heart. He was very poor and he had not the money to buy another axe. He was thinking about what to do. He was very depressed and blaming his lot. Suddenly, he heard a voice and saw a fairy before him. The fairy asked him why he was crying. He told her everything. The fairy took pity on him. She went into the pond and came back with, a golden axe. She asked the woodcutter if it was his axe. The woodcutter replied in the negative. She then again went into the water and returned with a silver one This time also the woodcutter refused to take it Finally, she brought the axe of the woodcutter from the water. The woodcutter was delighted to get back his iron axe. The fairy became very pleased with the woodcutter at his honesty and gave him the two valuable axes as a reward. Honesty is thus always rewarded.

OR, 

 Long ago, there lived a woodcutter in a small village.  He was sincere in his work and very honest.  Every day, he set out into the nearby forest to cut trees.  He brought the woods back into the village and sold them out to a merchant and earn his money.  He earned just about enough to make a living, but he was satisfied with his simple living.

One day, while cutting a tree near a river, his axe slipped out of his hand and fell into the river.  The river was so deep, he could not even think to retrieve it on his own. He only had one axe which was gone into the river. He became a very worried thinking how he will be able to earn his living now!  He was very sad and prayed to the Goddess. He prayed sincerely so the Goddess appeared in front of him and asked, “What is the problem, my son?” The woodcutter explained the problem and requested the Goddess to get his axe back.

The Goddess put her hand deep into the river and took out a silver axe and asked, “Is this your axe?”  The Woodcutter looked at the axe and said “No”.   So the Goddess put her hand back deep into the water again and showed a golden axe and asked, “Is this your axe?”  The woodcutter looked at the axe and said “No”.  The Goddess said, “Take a look again Son, this is a very valuable golden axe, are you sure this is not yours?”  The woodcutter said, “No, It’s not mine.  I can’t cut the trees with a golden axe.  It’s not useful for me”.

The Goddess smiled and finally put her hand into the water again and took out his iron axe and asked, “Is this your axe?”  To this, the woodcutter said, “Yes!  This is mine!  Thank you!”  The Goddess was very impressed with his honesty so she gave him his iron axe and also other two axes as a reward for his honesty.

Moral:  Always be honest.  Honesty is always rewarded.