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?
