One day a poor woodman was trying to cut down a tree near a river. By chance his axe fell out of his hand. Right into the river it went, quite out of his reach. “Alas!” wailed the poor man, “it is my only axe. How shall I cut down the trees, and earn my daily bread?”
Mercury, the god of the river, heard his cry. He came to the woodman and said, “What is that makes you Vail, my good man?”
“My axe is lost, the only one I had,” replied the woodman.
Mercury dived into the water and brought an axe of glittering gold. “My good man, is this your axe?” asked tile god of the river. The woodman replied, “No, it is not mine.”
So Mercury went into the water again, and this time he brought a silver axe. Again the woodman would not take it, but said that his was simply made of steel.
Once more Mercury dived down and brought an axe that was made of steel. “Is it yours, my good man I” asked the god of the water. The woodman jumped up in joy. He cried out, “This axe is mine!” He could not find words to thank his kind patron.
Mercury, glad at the man’s uncommon honesty, gave him all the three axes as a reward.
Moral: Honesty brings its own reward.
Mercury, the god of the river, heard his cry. He came to the woodman and said, “What is that makes you Vail, my good man?”
“My axe is lost, the only one I had,” replied the woodman.
Mercury dived into the water and brought an axe of glittering gold. “My good man, is this your axe?” asked tile god of the river. The woodman replied, “No, it is not mine.”
So Mercury went into the water again, and this time he brought a silver axe. Again the woodman would not take it, but said that his was simply made of steel.
Once more Mercury dived down and brought an axe that was made of steel. “Is it yours, my good man I” asked the god of the water. The woodman jumped up in joy. He cried out, “This axe is mine!” He could not find words to thank his kind patron.
Mercury, glad at the man’s uncommon honesty, gave him all the three axes as a reward.
Moral: Honesty brings its own reward.
