The Honest Woodcutter and The River Goddess

Once upon a time, there was a poor woodcutter who lived in a small village. He had an old axe and made a living by chopping wood for the villagers. One day, while cutting wood by the river, his axe slipped from his hands and fell into the water. The woodcutter was distressed because it was his only tool for work.

The god of the river appeared and offered to help. He pulled out a golden axe and asked, "Is this your axe?" The woodcutter replied, "No, that's not mine." The god pulled out a silver axe, asking again, but the woodcutter refused. Finally, the god pulled out his old axe. The woodcutter exclaimed, "Yes, that's mine!"

Impressed with his honesty, the god rewarded the woodcutter with the golden and silver axes as well. The moral of the story is that honesty brings rewards in unexpected ways.

Moral: Honesty is the best policy.