The Honest Woodcutter

Once upon a time, there was a poor woodcutter who lived in a small village. He earned his living by cutting wood from the nearby forest and selling it in the market. One day, while cutting wood, his axe fell into the river. He was very upset as he couldn’t afford to buy a new axe. Suddenly, a miracle happened, a fairy appeared and asked him what was wrong. The woodcutter told her about his problem.
The fairy took pity on him and dived into the river. She came back with a golden axe and asked him if it was his. The woodcutter denied it and said that his axe was made of iron. The fairy was pleased with his honesty and gave him all three axes – the golden one, a silver one, and his iron axe.
The woodcutter went back home with the three axes and told his wife about the miracle. The next day, he went to the forest with his iron axe and started cutting wood. A rich merchant passed by and saw the woodcutter working with his iron axe. He offered to buy the axe for a large sum of money. The woodcutter refused, saying that it was his only means of earning a living.
The merchant was not satisfied and offered more money. The woodcutter still refused, saying that he had been given the axe by the fairy and it was not for sale. The merchant left, but he was not happy. He went to the forest and threw his own golden axe into the river, hoping that the fairy would appear and give it to him.
When the fairy appeared, the merchant claimed that the golden axe was his. The fairy knew that he was lying and asked him to leave. She then appeared before the woodcutter and gave him the golden axe as a reward for his honesty.
The woodcutter became rich and lived happily ever after with his wife. The moral of the story is that honesty is always the best policy.

Moral

1. Honesty is always the best policy, even when faced with difficult situations.
2. Hard work and perseverance pay off in the end.
3. It is important to admit and learn from our mistakes.
4. We should treat others with kindness and respect, regardless of their status or occupation.
5. Good deeds are always rewarded, even if it may not be immediate.

Origin of the Story: Nigeria