One day a woodcutter was cutting a tree over a river and dropped his ax into it. He cried out of grief, but then the Lord appeared to him and asked: “Why are you crying?” “How can I not cry, because I dropped an ax into the river and will no longer be able to earn enough to feed my family.”
Then the Lord took out a golden ax from the river and asked:
"Is this your axe?"
“No, this is not my ax,” answered the woodcutter.
The Lord took a silver ax from the river and asked:
"Maybe this is your axe?"
“No, and this is not my ax,” answered the woodcutter.
Finally, the Lord took out an iron ax from the river.
“Yes, this is my ax,” the woodcutter rejoiced.
“I see you are an honest man and keep my commandments,” said the Lord, “take all three axes as your reward.”
The woodcutter began to live in abundance, but then unfortunately his wife fell into the river. He cried bitterly again. And again the Lord appeared to him and asked:
"Why are you crying?"
“How can I not cry, because my wife fell into the river.”
Then the Lord took Jennifer Lopez out of the river and asked:
"Is this your wife?"
“Yes, this is my wife,” the woodcutter answered joyfully.
The Lord got angry:
“You lied to me, how can that be?”
“You see, oh Lord,” answered the woodcutter, “there was a little misunderstanding here. I would answer that this is not my wife. Then you would get Catherine Zeta-Jones out of the river, and I would again say that she is not my wife. Then you would get my wife, and I would say that she is my wife.
Would you give me all three, and what would I do with them? I wouldn't be able to feed them all, and all four of us would be very unhappy."
Moral: When men lie, they do it with dignity and for the benefit of everyone.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru