The Honest Woodcutter

The honest woodcutter is one of the famous Aesop fables that is read to kids. This story circles an honest woodcutter who works hard every day. He lost his axe in the river. He prayed to the River Goddess for help. The Goddess of the river was pleased by his honesty and humbleness. What did he do to get rewarded? Why was the River Goddess impressed with him? Read this story and find out why the woodcutter was helped by the River Goddess. Learn the life lesson hidden in this classic kids story.

The Story of an Honest Woodcutter

There was a woodcutter who lived in a small village beside a forest. He was a hard-working, honest man and was happy with his profession. He used to cut trees and sold wood to the merchants to earn daily.

The Honest Woodcutter

One day, he was out there cutting a tree beside a river. It was a hot day, and his palms were sweating profusely. Suddenly, his axe handle slipped from his grip and fell into the river. The river was deep, and he could not find his axe.

He was very worried as he could not cut wood anymore. He was unable to figure out how to cut and sell wood with the axe to feed his family. The woodcutter started to pray to the Goddess of the river to get his axe back.

The Goddess Appears in the Honest Woodcutter Story

Listening to his prayer, the Goddess of the river appeared before him. To his surprise, he saw that his prayers were answered. He explained how he lost his only axe, and his family was in great distress.

The Goddess of the River appeared

He urged the Goddess to help him find his axe. The Goddess wanted to test him. She dipped in the water and brought a silver axe. She asked, “Is this axe yours?” The woodcutter replied humbly that it was not his axe. He explained that he could not cut trees with a silver axe.

She again dipped and picked a golden axe. She asked the same question to the crying man. He answered that the golden axe was not his. When he denied it, the Goddess dipped again and picked the axe he lost in the river.

She asked, “Is this the one?”

To her surprise, he yelled with joy, “Yes”. In this The Honest Woodcutter Story PDF, the Goddess realised how honest and humble this man is.

To the man’s surprise, she dipped and brought all three axes to him as a reward for his honesty. The man was astonished. He accepted the gifts from her and returned happily to his family in the village.

The Honest Woodcutter Story in English with Moral

This story has a hidden message; a moral that depicts honesty as the best policy. The woodcutter only asked for what he needed. He could have said yes in the very first place and taken the priceless axes, but he chose the one he could use. His honesty and humbleness got him the reward of a lifetime.

Conclusion

After studying The Honest Woodcutter characters, parents will be able to explain how important honesty is to the children. It can also be used by teachers for a small play for the kids at school. This Aesop Fable is ideal for teaching the value of honesty.