The Honest Woodcutter

The Honest Woodcutter
A humble and hardworking woodcutter lived a modest life in a small village. He earned his
living by chopping wood in the forest and selling it to the villagers. Despite his hard work, he
had only a few basic tools, with his axe being his most valuable possession. His life, though
simple, was content as he was honest and respected among the villagers for his integrity.
One day, while chopping wood by a river, his axe slipped from his hands and fell into the water.
Distressed, he sat down and lamented his loss, as he couldn't afford a new axe. The thought of
losing his only means of livelihood was overwhelming.
Hearing his cries, the god Hermes appeared and asked what had happened. After the woodcutter
explained, Hermes dove into the river and emerged with a golden axe. He asked the woodcutter
if this was his axe. The woodcutter honestly replied that it was not. Hermes then returned to the
river and brought back a silver axe, asking again if it was the woodcutters. Again, the woodcutter
said it was not his. Finally, Hermes retrieved the woodcutter's own iron axe. The woodcutter was
overjoyed and claimed it as his.
Impressed by the woodcutter's honesty, Hermes rewarded him by giving him all three axes: the
golden, the silver, and his original iron axe.
The woodcutter's neighbors heard of his good fortune and decided to try their luck by
deliberately dropping their axes into the river and claiming the golden axe. However, when
Hermes tested them and they dishonestly claimed the golden axe as their own, he did not reward
them and sometimes even punished them for their deceit.
The moral of the story is that honesty is rewarded while dishonesty is punished. The
woodcutter's simple yet honest life brought him unexpected rewards, emphasizing that integrity
and truthfulness are virtues that ultimately lead to greater rewards
Guided Questions:
Before story telling (Choose 1)
1. Have you ever lost something important, like your favorite toy or a special item? How
did you feel, and what did you do about it?
2. Can you think of a time when someone was dishonest and it caused a problem? What
happened?
3. Have you ever been rewarded for telling the truth? What was the reward?
During:
1. What do you think would happen if the woodcutter lied about the golden axe being his?
After Story Telling
1. What happened to the woodcutter's axe?
2. What reward did the woodcutter receive for being honest?
3. How did the woodcutter's neighbors try to get the same reward, and what happened to
them?
4. If you were Hermes, how would you reward someone for their honesty?
Book Outline:
Page 1:
A woodcutter lived in a small village on the riverbank. He used to cut the trees on the
riverbankevery day and sell them in the village.
Page 2:
One day, while cutting a tree, he dropped his axe in the river
Page 3:
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
livelihood. Please help me, God please give me back my axe back.”
Page 4:
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.
Page 5:
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 thanked
Mercury.
Page 6:
Mercury was happy with the honesty and gave him all three aces.
Page 7:
The woodcutter went home happily. Soon village heard about his good fortune story.
Page 8:
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.
Page 9:
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.
Moral of the story:
"Honesty is rewarded, while dishonesty leads to negative consequences."

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