The Woodcutter and the Water Goddess.           

 
      Once a poor wood-cutter was cutting a tree by the side of a river. Suddenly his axe slipped from his hands and fell into the river. He became very sad and started weeping. His axe was the only means of earning his livelihood. Having lost it forever he cursed his fate. Finding him weeping so sorrowfully the goddess of the river felt pity on the wood-cutter. She came out from the water and asked the man what he was crying for. After learning the cause of grief of the wood-cutter the goddess at once took a dip into the water and came out with a golden axe. She asked him if it was his lost axe. The man replied in negative. The goddess again dipped into the water and this time came out with a silver axe and asked the same question. The wood-cutter once again declined to the question. Then the goddess brought the iron axe of the wood-cutter. He at once jumped with joy and confirmed that it was his lost axe. The goddess was very happy to see the honesty of the man and she rewarded him with both the gold and silver axes. After returning home he narrated the incident to his friends and neighbors. Among the listeners one man was very much greedy and decided to practice the same the next day. He went to the same place and started cutting wood. Then he intentionally threw the axe into the water and started crying loudly. The goddess came out of the water and enquired the cause of his grief. He replied in the same manner as his friend had done. The goddess dipped and came out with a golden axe and asked the man if it was his lost axe. The greedy man jumped to get hold of the golden axe saying that it belonged to him. The goddess got very angry seeing his dishonesty and did not give him the golden axe. She did not return him his iron axe either. Moreover, she cursed him. Thus the dishonest and greedy man had to return home in empty hands and also loosing his own axe

         
Honesty is the best policy