Woodcutter and Watergod Short Story

Once upon a time, a poor woodcutter lived in a small village. He earned his livelihood by cutting wood from the forest. One day, while chopping a tree near a river, his axe accidentally slipped from his hands and fell into the water. The river was deep, and he couldn’t retrieve it.

The woodcutter sat by the river, distressed, as it was his only means of livelihood. Suddenly, the water goddess appeared and asked, “Why are you crying?”

The woodcutter explained his plight. The goddess, moved by his honesty, dove into the river and returned with a golden axe. “Is this your axe?” she asked. The woodcutter shook his head and said, “No, that’s not mine.”
She then brought a silver axe and asked again. The woodcutter replied, “No, that’s not mine either.” Finally, she brought his old, iron axe. Overjoyed, the woodcutter exclaimed, “Yes, that’s my axe!”

The goddess was impressed by his honesty and gave him all three axes as a reward. The woodcutter thanked her and lived a content life.

Moral: Honesty is always rewarded.