Honest Woodcutter and Water God

Once upon a time there lived a poor woodcutter lived in a small village, earning his livelihood by cutting wood from the forest. One day, while chopping a tree near a river, his axe slipped from his hands and fell into the deep water. He sat by the river, saddened, as the axe was his only tool to earn a living.

Suddenly, a water spirit appeared and asked him why he was upset. When he explained, the spirit dived into the river and returned with a golden axe. "Is this yours?" she asked. The woodcutter shook his head. The spirit then brought out a silver axe, but again, the woodcutter refused. Finally, she returned with his old, iron axe. The woodcutter smiled and said, "Yes, this one is mine!"

The spirit was pleased with his honesty and rewarded him by giving him all three axes. The woodcutter went home happily, knowing that honesty had brought him unexpected riches.

Moral: Honesty is always rewarded, even when you least expect it.