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A Woodman was a tree on the of a river, when his , , out of his hands and into the water. As he stood by the water's edge his loss, appeared and asked him the reason for his ; and on learning what had happened, out of for his he into the river and, a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost. The Woodman replied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second time, and, bringing up a silver axe,asked if that was his. "No, that is not mine either," said the Woodman. Once more Mercury dived into the river, and brought up the missing axe. The Woodman was at his , and thanked his warmly; and was so pleased with his honesty that he made him a present of the other two axes. When the Woodman told the story to his , one of these was of his and to try for himself. So he went and began to a tree at the of the river, and to let his axe drop into the water. Mercury appeared as before, and, on learning that his axe had fallen in, he dived and brought up a golden axe, as he had done . Without waiting to be asked whether it was his or not the fellow cried, "That's mine, that's mine," and for the prize: but Mercury was so at his that he not only declined to give him the golden axe, but also to for him the one he had let fall into the stream.
Moral: is the best policy.