Once upon a time, there was a poor woodcutter named Ramu. He lived in a small village near a big forest. Every day, he would go to the forest, cut wood, and sell it in the market to earn money.
One day, Ramu was cutting a tree near a river. Suddenly, his axe slipped from his hands and fell into the deep water. Ramu was very sad. He sat by the river and cried, “How will I work now? That was my only axe.”
Just then, a fairy appeared from the water. She asked Ramu, “Why are you crying?” Ramu told her the truth.
The fairy smiled and went back into the water. When she came out, she had a golden axe in her hand. “Is this your axe?” she asked.
Ramu looked at the shiny golden axe but said, “No, this is not mine.”
The fairy went back into the water and came out with a silver axe. “Is this your axe?” she asked.
Again, Ramu shook his head and said, “No, that is not mine either.”
For the third time, the fairy went into the water and brought out his old iron axe. Ramu’s eyes lit up, and he said, “Yes! That one is mine!”
The fairy was very happy with Ramu’s honesty. She gave him all three axes—the golden, the silver, and his old iron one. Ramu thanked her and went home with a big smile.
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