Once there was a poor woodcutter. Every day he cut wood near a river and sold it to feed his family.
One day, his axe slipped from his hand. It fell into the deep river. The woodcutter sat down and cried. Without his axe, he could not work.
Suddenly, a river fairy came up from the water. She asked, 'Why are you crying?' He told her about his axe.
The fairy went under the water. She came back with a shiny golden axe. 'Is this yours?' she asked. The woodcutter looked at it and said, 'No, that is not mine.'
She went down again and brought a silver axe. 'Is this yours?' Again he said, 'No. Mine was a simple iron axe.'
The third time, she brought his old iron axe. The woodcutter smiled. 'Yes! That one is mine. Thank you!'
The fairy was very happy with his honest heart. She said, 'You did not lie, even when you were poor. So take all three axes as a gift.'
The woodcutter went home with three axes and a big smile. His honesty gave him more than gold ever could.
💛 What this story teaches
Being honest may look like a loss at first, but it always wins in the end.