An honest woodcutter once lost his ax when he fell into a pond. An angel presented him with a golden ax and a silver ax; But he refused to accept what was not his. He was just happy to have his old ax back.
In the evening, as he sat outside his little hut looking at the stars, he told his little son what had happened. The little boy was happy to have his father's ax back. However, his neighbors who heard the story thought the woodcutter was a fool. “I want an angel to give me a golden axe. I will know what to do with it,” he thought.
The next morning, the neighbor went to the village market and bought an old battered ax for a few rupees. Then left for the forest. He went to the pond and climbed a tree on its bank. Then, he threw his ax into the pond and started crying loudly, "Oh God, I've lost my axe."
He hurriedly came under the tree, sat down on the bank of the pond and began to cry, "Will any soul help me to find my axe?"
A deity appeared from the pond with an axe. "Is that the ax you're looking for?" she asked holding the silver axe. The man looked at the ax and thought, “If I accept this, she will go. Let's see if she brings me a golden axe.
"No, it's not my axe," he shook his head.
"Then you had better find the ax yourself," said the angel. Thinking the man might need some help getting into the pool, she pushed him into the water
The goddess left happy that now no one would come to her pond looking for gold.
The poor man did not know how to swim. He shouted for help. His neighbor, an honest woodcutter, heard his cries and rescued him. He thanked the wood cutters. "I learned my lesson," he said.
The woodcutter had no idea what the neighbors were talking about. "My life is worth more than gold," he said.
"And happiness comes from honest living," added the woodcutter. Both the neighbors returned to their homes happily