The Honest Woodcutter

Once upon a time, near a big forest, lived a woodcutter. He chopped down trees and sold the wood in the nearby market to earn money.

One day, while he was chopping, his axe accidentally fell into a fast-flowing river. The river was very deep!

The woodcutter tried and tried to find his axe, but he couldn’t reach it. He was very sad and sat down by the river and started to cry.

The river god heard the woodcutter’s cries and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The woodcutter told him his sad story. The river god felt sorry for the woodcutter and saw how hard he worked and how honest he was. He decided to help!

Watercolor illustration showcasing the three axes: a rusty iron axe, a shiny silver axe, and a gleaming golden axe. The woodcutter (brown hair, red shirt, blue trousers) is shown reacting with different expressions to each axe. The river is represented by soft blues and greens, with a hint of movement. The background features a section of the forest, with simplified tree shapes in muted greens and browns. Maintain consistent character design and color palette throughout.

The river god disappeared into the water and then reappeared with a golden axe! But the woodcutter said, “That’s not my axe.”

The river god disappeared again and came back with a silver axe. The woodcutter shook his head and said, “That’s not mine either.”

The river god went back into the water one more time. This time, he came back with an iron axe. The woodcutter’s face lit up! “That’s my axe!” he cried happily.

The river god was so impressed by the woodcutter’s honesty that he gave him the golden axe and the silver axe as gifts, too!

Watercolor painting of a woodcutter, consistently depicted with brown hair, a red shirt, and blue trousers, sitting by a rushing river. The river is a vibrant teal, and the forest background is a mix of deep greens and browns. A river god, depicted with flowing light blue robes and long white hair, is partially submerged in the water, offering a golden axe to the woodcutter. In the background, a pile of cut logs is visible. The style should be whimsical and slightly cartoonish, maintaining consistency in character design across the scene.

The End

Lesson: Honesty is always the best policy!

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The Hungry Fox

The Hen That Laid Golden Eggs

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