Honesty is the best policy.

The Boy and His Axe

Long ago, there was a very poor boy. He lived alone with his father who was very sick. The boy chopped wood to earn a living.

          One day, he saw a big tree beside a lake. He climbed up the tree to chop some branches. Suddenly, his axe slipped and fell into the lake and he started crying.

          To his surprise, an old man appeared from the lake.

          “Why are you crying?” he asked.

          “My axe dropped into the water. I need it to chop wood,” replied the boy.

          “Let me help you search for it,” said the old man. Then, he disappeared into the water. After awhile, he came back with a shiny golden axe.

          “Is this your axe?” he asked.

          “This axe is beautiful but it is not mine,” said the boy.

          “Well, let me look once more,” said the old man before he disappeared into the water again.

          A few minutes later, he came back with a silver axe.

“Is this your axe?” he asked.

          “No, mine is just an ordinary axe. It is not made of silver or gold,” replied the boy.

          The old man disappeared into the water for the third time. Later, he came back with the boy’s axe.

          “Yes, yes, that is mine!” shouted the boy excitedly.

          “I am glad that you are such an honest boy. Take these golden and silver axes too,” said the old man before he disappeared.

          The moral value of this story is “Honesty is the best policy”.