Once there was a poor woodcutter. He was cutting wood along the banks of a river. Suddenly, his axe fell into the river. The poor woodcutter was shattered. He thought, ‘What will I do now? I will not be able to cut and sell wood. My wife and children will starve.’ The river god heard him crying and felt pity for him. He appeared before the man and said, “Do not cry, my dear man. I will get your axe for you.” Soon the god appeared again and showed him a gold axe. The woodcutter said, “Sir, this is not my axe.” Then the god showed him a silver axe. The woodcutter replied, “This is also not my axe.” Then the god showed him his axe. The woodcutter took the axe happily. The god said, “I am very happy with your honesty. You can take the other two axes as well as your reward.”
The Woodcutter and His Axe
