In a village close to a forest lived a poor woodcutter named Henry. Each day he ventured into the woods to chop wood and sell it to support his family. He had very few possessions, and the little money he made was never enough for his family’s needs.
One day, as he was working by the riverside, he raised his axe high to chop through the wood when suddenly, he slipped on a stone, and his axe flew out of his hand and fell into the river.
“Oh! my axe! my axe!” he cried. He cried and cried as he did not know how he would ever replace it. A woodcutter’s axe is his means of getting a living.
Henry sat down on the bank, and for a long time he cried and lamented over his loss. After a time, a spirit appeared on the surface of the river, and asked him why he was weeping so bitterly.
Henry told the river Spirit how he had lost his axe, and how it was his only means of living. The Spirit told him not to be cast down, and that it would come back to him. Then the Spirit dived beneath the waters, and shortly after came to the surface again holding another axe that shone like gold.
“Is this your axe?” asked the Spirit.
“No, it is not,” said Henry.
Then the Spirit dived down again, and soon returned with another axe made of silver.
“Is this your axe?” asked the Spirit.
Henry answered again, “No.” So the Spirit went down again, and returned with the woodcutter’s axe that had fallen into the river.
“Is this your axe?” asked the Spirit.
Henry was delighted to receive his own axe back again, and said, “Yes,” this was his axe. The Spirit was pleased with Henry’s answers, and as a reward for his honesty came to his house the following night, and put the two other axes in his room, for the woodman had told his wife, and they both agreed to take good care of the rich presents.
Now, Henry, who had been poor all his life, became a rich man, and all through his life he remembered the river spirit and what is more important, told everyone to be Honest and Truthful at all times.
Moral
Honesty is always rewarded.