A woodcutter was cutting wood from a tree near the bank of a river.
Suddenly, the axe slipped from the hands of the woodcutter and fell down into the fast current of the river.
The woodcutter searched for the axe in the river, but he could not find it.
Cursing his luck the woodcutter dejectedly sat near the bank of the river. Suddenly, a water-fairy appeared in the river.
“Why are you worried?” the water-fairy asked in a soft voice.
“My axe has fallen into the river. I don’t have another axe,” the woodcutter said in a sad voice. The water-fairy assured him that she would get him the axe and disappeared.
“Is this golden axe yours?” the water-fairy asked after resurfacing.
“No, this axe is not mine,”. the honest woodcutter refused promptly.
The water-fairy again disappeared in the water and this time came out with a silver axe but the woodcutter refused again.
Impressed by the honesty of the woodcutter, the water-fairy gifted him both the axes with his iron axe.
Moral : Honesty never goes waste.
