Honesty is the best policy

 

  

Once upon a time, in a small village nestled amidst lush green hills, lived a young woodcutter named Rohan. Known for his unwavering honesty, Rohan always made sure to sell only the wood he had chopped, never taking advantage of customers by adding extra pieces or exaggerating the quality.

One day, while chopping wood by the river, Rohan's axe slipped from his grasp and fell into the deep water. He searched frantically, but his axe was lost. Devastated, Rohan sat by the riverbank, lamenting his misfortune. Just then, a divine figure appeared before him, offering to help.

"I can retrieve your axe, but first, tell me what kind of axe you lost," the figure said.

Rohan, without hesitation, replied, "It was a simple, iron axe, with a worn-out handle."

The divine figure then plunged into the river and emerged with a gleaming golden axe. "Is this your axe?" they asked.

"No," Rohan said, "my axe is not made of gold."

The figure dived again, this time returning with a silver axe. "Is this your axe?"

"No," Rohan answered, "it's not mine either."

Finally, the divine figure brought up Rohan's simple iron axe. "Is this your axe?"

"Yes, that's my axe!" Rohan exclaimed with relief.

Impressed by Rohan's honesty, the divine figure gifted him both the silver or golden axes as a reward for his integrity.

News of Rohan's honesty spread throughout the village, and soon, everyone came to trust him completely. When he sold wood, people knew they were getting exactly what they paid for, and they readily bought from him. Rohan's business thrived, not just because of his quality wood, but because of his reputation as a man of his word.

Moral of the Story: This story highlights that being honest, even when it seems difficult, always leads to positive outcomes in the long run, building trust and respect from others, or ensuring a fulfilling life.