The Honest Woodcutter – Short Story for Kids

A woodcutter lived in a small village on the riverbank. He used to cut the trees on the river bank every day and sell them in the village.

One day, while cutting a tree, he dropped his axe in the river.

The woodcutter immediately searched, but could not see the axe. He sat down on the river bank and started crying. He said, “Dear god I dropped my axe in the water. It was my only source of lively hood. Please help me, God please give me back my axe back.”

The woodcutter saw the god Mercury rising from the river. He heard the woodcutter’s prayer and went back to the river to find the axe.

He came back with a gold axe and asked, woodcutter, is this your axe?” the woodcutter refused.

Mercury went back in and got a silver axe. “Is this your axe?”, the woodcutter refused again.

The third time, Mercury returned with an iron axe. The woodcutter took his axe happily and profusely thanked Mercury.

Mercury was happy with the honesty and gave him all three aces.

The woodcutter went home happily. Soon village heard about his good fortune story.

One greedy friend of Woodcutter went to the river bank the next day and hid his axe behind the tree near the river bank. As he sat on the river bank crying, god mercury appeared.

Mercury asked him why he was crying. He told Mercury that he had lost his axe. Mercury went back to the river and returned with a gold axe. The man took the axe. Mercury was upset with his dishonesty and took back the gold axe from him and scared him. He ran back to the village without taking his axe.