sell them for much gold, and you shall never be poor again." And he was gone before the woodcutter had time to thank him.
The woodcutter went home a very happy man, for now he would always have plenty for his family. When his neighbors heard about his good fortune, one of them who was a lazy, good-for-nothing fellow decided to try his luck in the same way. He went to the stream, threw his ax in, and sitting down on the bank, wept aloud as the honest woodman had done.
Suddenly Mercury appeared to him.
"What is the trouble, my good man?" he asked, as before.
"I dropped my ax in the river," sobbed the man.
Instantly the fairy dived into the water, and in a moment came up with a golden ax in his hand.
"Is this your ax?"
"Yes! Oh, yes! that is mine," the dishonest man cried, reaching out eagerly for the beautiful golden tool.
But Mercury knew he was not speaking the truth, and was very angry with him. Instead of giving him the golden ax, he
