The Reward of Honesty

 

Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a poor but honest woodcutter named Jacob. He worked hard every day, cutting wood in the forest to earn a small living. Even though he was poor, everyone knew Jacob for his honesty and kindness.

One day, while Jacob was cutting wood by the river, his axe slipped from his hands and fell into the deep water. He sat on the riverbank and cried because he couldn’t get it back. His axe was the only tool he had to make money, and without it, he couldn't take care of his family.

Hearing his cries, the spirit of the river appeared before him. "Why are you crying, good man?" asked the spirit.

Jacob told her what had happened, and the spirit, moved by his honesty, dove into the river. Moments later, she came out with a golden axe. "Is this your axe?" she asked.

Jacob shook his head. "No, that is not my axe."

The spirit smiled and dove back into the river, returning with a silver axe. "Is this your axe?" she asked again.

Jacob shook his head again. "No, that is not my axe either."

The spirit dove into the river a third time and brought back Jacob's old, worn-out iron axe. "Is this your axe?" she asked.

Overjoyed, Jacob exclaimed, "Yes, that is my axe! Thank you so much!"

Impressed by Jacob's honesty, the spirit gave him all three axes—the golden, the silver, and his own iron axe. Jacob went back to the village, where he used the golden and silver axes to make his family's life better and shared his good luck with his neighbors.

Word of Jacob's honesty and the spirit's reward spread throughout the village. From that day on, the villagers were inspired to live their lives with honesty and kindness, knowing that honesty is always rewarded in the end.

Moral: Honesty is the best policy. It brings unexpected rewards and earns the respect and trust of others.