Once upon a time, a woodcutter set out from his house to cut some food in the forest. He took his favourite wooden axe along with him and walked to a big tree near the river. He climbed up the big tree and sat on a branch. He then started to cut the branch steadily. Suddenly, his axe slipped from his hand and fell into the river below. The woodcutter was filled with sorrow and did not know what to do. He was very sad as he could not cut wood and provide food for his family.
At this moment, a fairy emerged from the river. The woodcutter was stunned by her beauty and for a moment he forgot his worries. Mustering all his courage, he asked what the fairy wanted. The fairy said that she had come from the river on hearing the woodcutter cry. Now, the woodcutter narrated to her about what had happened and she said that she would find his axe for him.
The fairy dived into the river and brought a silver axe along with her. She asked the woodcutter if this was the axe he had lost. For a moment, the woodcutter contemplated how if he accepted this silver axe, all the worries of his family would be solved. But, deep inside, the woodcutter’s consciousness told him that honesty was the best policy and so he told the fairy that the silver axe did not belong to him.
The fairy dived into the river once again and brought a gold axe along with her this time. She asked the woodcutter if this was the axe he had lost. The woodcutter was attracted by the gold axe and contemplated how if he accepted this gold axe, all the worries of his family would be solved. But, deep inside, the woodcutter’s consciousness told him that honesty was the best policy and so he told the fairy that the gold axe did not belong to him.
The fairy dived into the river for a third time and brought a wooden axe along with her. She asked the woodcutter if this was the axe he had lost. The woodcutter was happy on seeing his favourite axe and he gratefully accepted the axe from the fairy. But the fairy did not leave. Instead she gave him the gold and silver axes as well, as a reward for his honesty.
Moral - Honesty is the best policy