Woodman was overjoyed at recovering his property, and thanked his benefactor warmly; and the latter 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 companions, one of these was filled with envy of his good fortune and determined to try his luck for himself. So he went and began to fell a tree at the edge of the river, and presently contrived 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 on the previous occasion. Without waiting to be asked whether it was his or not, the fellow cried, "That's mine, that's mine," and stretched out his hand eagerly for
Mercury and the Woodman
A Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, when his axe, glancing
off the trunk, flew out of his hands and fell into the water. As he stood
by the water's edge lamenting his loss, Mercury appeared and asked him the
reason for his grief. On learning what had happened, out of pity for his
distress, Mercury dived into the river and, bringing up 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
