The Honest Woodcutter

Long ago, in a small village, there lived a woodcutter. He was sincere in his work and honest in all his dealings.

Every day, he went into the nearby forest to cut wood. He brought the logs back to the village and sold them to a merchant. He earned just enough to make a living, but he was content with his simple life.

One day, while chopping a tree near a river, his axe slipped from his hands and fell into the water. The river was deep, and there was no way he could retrieve it himself. Without his axe, he would not be able to earn a living. He became very worried and prayed sincerely for help.

Moved by his prayers, a Goddess appeared before him and asked, “What troubles you, my child?”

The woodcutter explained what had happened and asked the Goddess to help him get his axe back.

The Goddess dipped her hand into the river and brought out a silver axe. “Is this your axe?” she asked.

The woodcutter looked at it and shook his head. “No, that is not mine.”

The Goddess then pulled out a golden axe. “Is this your axe?”

The woodcutter again said, “No, that is not mine. I cannot cut trees with a golden axe—it would be useless to me.”

Finally, the Goddess reached into the water one more time and brought out his iron axe. “Is this your axe?” she asked.

“Yes! This is mine! Thank you!” said the woodcutter.

The Goddess was so impressed by his honesty that she rewarded him. She gave him not only his own iron axe but also the silver and golden axes as a gift for his honesty.

From that day on, the woodcutter’s life became even better, and the villagers remembered him as a man of truth.

Moral: Always be honest. Honesty is always rewarded.