The Honest Woodcutter
NARRATOR:
Once upon a time, a kind woodcutter lived in a small village.
He was poor, but he worked hard every day.
One day, he went to the forest.
He had an old iron axe.
NARRATOR:
Near the trees, there was a deep river.
The woodcutter slipped, and—SPLASH!
His axe fell into the water.
WOODCUTTER:
“Oh no! My axe! I can’t cut wood without it.”
NARRATOR:
Suddenly, the water sparkled.
An old man with a long white beard came out of the river.
He was the mountain spirit.
MOUNTAIN SPIRIT:
“Did you drop this gold axe?”
WOODCUTTER:
“No, sir. That is not mine.”
MOUNTAIN SPIRIT:
“Then, did you drop this silver axe?”
WOODCUTTER:
“No, that one is not mine either.”
MOUNTAIN SPIRIT:
“Is this old iron axe yours?”
WOODCUTTER (smiling):
“Yes! That’s my axe!”
NARRATOR:
The mountain spirit smiled.
MOUNTAIN SPIRIT:
“You are honest. So I will give you all three axes.”
He gave the woodcutter the gold, silver, and iron axe.
NARRATOR:
The woodcutter went home happily.
He told his story to the villagers.
NARRATOR:
One greedy man heard the story.
GREEDY MAN:
“I want a gold axe too!”
So he threw his axe into the river on purpose.
NARRATOR:
The mountain spirit appeared again.
MOUNTAIN SPIRIT:
“Did you drop this gold axe?”
GREEDY MAN (lying):
“Yes! That’s mine!”
NARRATOR:
But the mountain spirit frowned.
MOUNTAIN SPIRIT:
“You are not honest. You get nothing.”
He went back into the river.
NARRATOR (ending):
The greedy man lost even his old axe.
But the honest woodcutter lived happily ever after.
Honesty is the best reward.
THE END.
Vocabulary
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Axe – a tool used to cut wood
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River – a long stream of water
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Honest – telling the truth
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Spirit – a magical or special being
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Greedy – wanting more than you need
Useful Expressions
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“Did you drop this?” – Asking if something belongs to someone
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“That’s my axe!” – Saying something is yours
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“Honesty is the best reward.” – Being truthful brings good things
Comprehension Questions
1. What did the woodcutter drop in the river?
2. Who came out of the water?
3. What did the woodcutter say when he saw the gold and silver axes?
4. Why didn’t the greedy man get anything?
5. What lesson did this story teach us?