Intermediate Stories The Woodcutter and his Axe.

 Intermediate Stories 

              The Woodcutter and his Axe.

Once upon a time, there lived a poor woodcutter in a village. He cut and sold wood to earn his livelihood. He was very fair in his dealings with his customers. He neither sold low-quality wood nor gave short measures. One day, it so happened that he was felling a tree on the bank of a fast-running stream. Accidentally, his iron ax slipped from his hand and fell into the water. The man got shocked that he started crying like a small child. He was poor and could not afford to buy another ax.

An angel was passing by who heard the wails of the woodcutter. He headed straight to the sorrowful man and asked the reason for his crying. The woodcutter narrated the whole story. The angel asked him not to worry and saying so, he dived into the stream. When he came to the surface, he had a golden ax in his hand. He offered it to the woodcutter to testify his honesty and truthfulness. But the man refused to accept it by saying. "Mine was made of iron." At this, he dived again and surfaced with a glittering silver ax. "Is this yours?" asked the angel. The honest woodcutter again replied in negative.

The angel dived into the water for the third time. When he came up he had an old rusty iron ax in his hand. "Yes, this is my own ax." Shouted the man with joy because he could earn his living again. His honesty and contentment moved the angel deeply. He rewarded the poor with both the golden and silver axes. The woodcutter's joy knew no bounds because his honesty had made a new man.

Moral:

Honesty is The Best Policy.