Mercury and the
Woodcutter
While chopping down a tree on the bank of a river, a woodcutter
let his ax slip by chance into the water, and it immediately sank to the bottom. This accident upset him so much that he sat down by the side of the stream and lamented his carelessness with bitter tears. Fortunately, Mercury, whose river it was,
took pity on him and suddenly appeared. After he heard what had happened,he dived to the bottom of the river and brought back
a golden ax.Then he asked the woodcutter whether the ax was his.When the man said no,Mercury dived a second time and brought back a silver one.Again the man said that it was not his.Finally,after diving a third time,
Mercury produced the ax that the man had lost. "That's mine!" said the woodsman, delighted to have recovered his ax.And,so pleased was Mercury with the woodcutter's honesty that he promptly gave him the other two as presents. Later on the woodcutter went to his companions and told them what had happened.One of his friends decided
to see whether he would have the same kind of luck. So, he went to the same place as if he intended to cut wood,and he let his ax slip into the water on purpose. Then he sat down on the bank and pretended to weep.
Mercury appeared as he had once before,and upon hearing that the man was crying because he had lost his ax,he dived into the river. When he returned with a golden ax,he asked the man whether it was the ax he had lost.
"Yes,that's definitely the one," said the man eagerly, and he was about to garb the treasure when Mercury not only refused to give this ax to him but would not even return his own. Thus the man
was soundly punished for his lying and impudence.
Mercury and the Woodcutter While chopping down a tree on the bank of a river, a woodcutter let his ax slip by chance into the water, and it immediately sank to the bottom. This accident upset him so much that he sat down by the side of the stream and lamented his carelessness with bitter tears. Fortunately, Mercury, whose river it was, took pity on him and suddenly appeared. After he heard what had happened,he dived to the bottom of the river and brought back a golden ax.Then he asked the woodcutter whether the ax was his.When the man said no,Mercury dived a second time and brought back a silver one.Again the man said that it was not his.Finally,after diving a third time, Mercury produced the ax that the man had lost. "That's mine!" said the woodsman, delighted to have recovered his ax.And,so pleased was Mercury with the woodcutter's honesty that he promptly gave him the other two as presents. Later on the woodcutter went to his companions and told them what had happened.One of his friends decided to see whether he would have the same kind of luck. So, he went to the same place as if he intended to cut wood,and he let his ax slip into the water on purpose. Then he sat down on the bank and pretended to weep. Mercury appeared as he had once before,and upon hearing that the man was crying because he had lost his ax,he dived into the river. When he returned with a golden ax,he asked the man whether it was the ax he had lost. "Yes,that's definitely the one," said the man eagerly, and he was about to garb the treasure when Mercury not only refused to give this ax to him but would not even return his own. Thus the man was soundly punished for his lying and impudence.
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