The Honest Woodcutter

 

Once upon a time, in a small village nestled by a dense forest, there lived a poor woodcutter named Raj. He made a meager living by cutting wood from the forest and selling it in the nearby town.

One hot summer day, as Raj was cutting wood near a river, his axe slipped from his hand and fell into the river. He was devastated because that was the only axe he had, and he couldn't afford to buy a new one. He sat by the riverbank, feeling hopeless.

As Raj sat there, dejected, a miracle happened. A beautiful fairy appeared from the water, holding a golden axe in her hand. She asked, "Is this the axe you lost, Raj?"

Raj was surprised but honest. He replied, "No, that's not my axe."

The fairy smiled at his honesty and disappeared into the river, leaving behind a silver axe.

Again, she asked, "Is this your axe, Raj?"

Raj thought that he could have claimed it as his own, but he remembered his honesty and said, "No, that's not my axe either."

Once more, the fairy smiled, this time more brightly. She handed Raj his own axe and said, "Your honesty has touched my heart. You may keep your axe, and as a reward for your truthfulness, you can have the golden and silver axes too."

Raj was overjoyed. He thanked the fairy and returned home with three axes - his old one, the golden axe, and the silver axe.

Raj's honesty had made him rich. He used the golden and silver axes wisely and became a prosperous man. His neighbors admired him for his integrity and good fortune.

The moral of the story is that honesty is a treasure more valuable than gold. It not only brings material rewards but also earns respect and trust from others.