Once upon a time, in a small village, lived an honest and poor woodcutter named Ramu. Every day, he went to the nearby forest to cut wood, which he would then sell in the market.

​One extremely hot afternoon, Ramu was cutting wood by the bank of a river. Suddenly, his axe slipped from his hand and fell into the deep, swirling water. Ramu was devastated. The axe was his only means of earning a living. He sat down and began to weep, praying for help.

​Suddenly, the River God appeared, taking pity on Ramu. "Why do you cry, my son?" the God asked. Ramu told him what had happened.

​The River God plunged his hand into the water and pulled out a magnificent golden axe. "Is this yours?" he asked. Ramu looked at the sparkling gold and shook his head. "No, sir. Mine was an old, simple iron axe."

​The God dipped his hand again and pulled out a silver axe. "Is this it?" Ramu again denied it, saying, "That is not my axe either."

​Finally, the River God dived a third time and brought out the old, rusty iron axe that belonged to Ramu. Ramu’s face lit up with joy! "Yes! That is my axe! Thank you, dear God!" he exclaimed.

​The River God was deeply impressed by Ramu's honesty. He smiled and said, "My son, I am pleased with your truthfulness. Because you did not lie or become greedy, I grant you the golden and the silver axes as a reward."

​Ramu was overjoyed and thanked the River God profusely. He returned home not only with his own axe but also with two precious gifts, which helped him and his family live a comfortable life from then on.

​Moral : Honesty is the best policy.     By Bharti