The Honest Woodcutter

Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a poor woodcutter. He was known far and wide for his honesty and his unwavering faith in God. One scorching hot day, with the sun high in the sky, he set off into the nearby forest with his trusty axe in hand, searching for wood to sell.

After a long and tiring journey, he reached a dense part of the forest, and there he spotted a tall and strong tree standing proudly by a glistening river. It was the perfect tree for him to chop down and turn into firewood. With determination in his heart, he swung his axe. But, oh dear! The axe slipped from his sweaty hands and splashed into the deep river.

Tears welled up in the woodcutter's eyes as he watched his only means of livelihood sink beneath the water's surface. Just then, a shimmering figure emerged from the river – an angel! With a kind smile, she asked, "Why do you cry, dear woodcutter?"

He explained how he had lost his axe, and the angel dove back into the river. After a while, she emerged with a beautiful golden axe. The woodcutter's eyes sparkled with amazement, but he shook his head. "No, dear angel, that's not my axe."

Undeterred, the angel disappeared into the river once more and this time returned with a splendid silver axe. Again, the woodcutter shook his head, "No, that's not mine."

With patience and kindness, the angel dived one last time, pulling out a simple iron axe, just like the one the woodcutter had lost. Overjoyed, he accepted the iron axe with gratitude, thanking the angel for her kindness.

The angel, pleased with the woodcutter's honesty, decided to reward him. She handed him the golden and silver axes, and from that day on, the woodcutter and his family never went hungry again. They lived happily, knowing that honesty and goodness were always rewarded in the end.

Moral: Honesty is its own reward, and goodness is always repaid with kindness.