In a certain land, there lived two woodcutters: one was lazy, and the other was hardworking. Both worked cutting logs in the same forest. One day, the two set out to begin a new day of work, but the weather was scorching and the sun was intensely hot.
The lazy woodcutter said, “It is far too hot; let us rest for a while. We cannot possibly work in this heat.” The hardworking woodcutter replied, “What are you saying? You just rested a short while ago.” He picked up his axe and continued felling trees, while the lazy woodcutter sat beneath the shade of a tree and abandoned his work.
The hardworking woodcutter warned his lazy friend that the foreman might punish him if he failed to finish the day’s tasks, or if he discovered that he was resting instead of fulfilling his duties. He tried to encourage him to get up and work, but the lazy woodcutter preferred to stay lounging under the tree.
Suddenly, the lazy woodcutter feigned a sharp pain in his stomach. He began to cry out in agony, expressing his “pain.” The hardworking woodcutter rushed to his side, helped him relax, and offered to fetch a doctor. However, the lazy woodcutter firmly refused, claiming he was used to this pain and that there was no need for a doctor—he simply needed rest for the ache to pass.
The lazy woodcutter said to his friend, “Now, I don’t think the employer will be angry if he hears of my illness and my inability to finish today’s tasks.” The hardworking woodcutter replied, “Certainly not, especially if he knows that I will do your work for you, and that there will be no shortcoming in today’s duties.”
The lazy woodcutter was delighted by his friend’s cooperation in taking over his work; he was even more pleased that his trick to avoid labor had succeeded. Meanwhile, the hardworking woodcutter continued to fell tree after tree with diligence and perseverance.
At sunset, the two met by the lake. As they sat to relax for a moment before beginning the journey home, the hardworking woodcutter’s axe accidentally fell into the lake. He was overcome with grief, not knowing how to retrieve his axe from the deep waters.
The lazy woodcutter said, “There is nothing we can do; the lake is far too deep. Forget about it and let’s go.” But the hardworking woodcutter replied, “How can I leave? Without my axe, I won’t be able to work tomorrow.” The lazy woodcutter did not wait; he left his grieving friend behind and headed home.
The hardworking woodcutter sat by the lake, distraught, wondering how to save the axe without which he could not work or provide food for his family. He began to weep, and his tears fell into the lake.
As his tears mingled with the water, a massive man emerged from the center of the lake. The woodcutter was terrified and recoiled, but the man said in a booming voice, “Do not be afraid. I am the Guardian of the Lake. Tell me, why are you crying?” The woodcutter replied, “My axe fell into the lake, and it is my only source of livelihood.”
The Guardian vanished instantly and returned holding a golden axe. However, the woodcutter told him that it did not belong to him, as his lost axe was iron, not gold. The Guardian vanished again and returned with a shimmering silver axe, but the woodcutter again insisted that his axe was made of iron. Finally, the Guardian vanished once more and returned with the original iron axe.
Overjoyed, the woodcutter thanked the Guardian. Deeply impressed by the woodcutter’s honesty and integrity, the Guardian gave him all three axes as a reward and disappeared. The hardworking woodcutter returned to his village and told his lazy friend everything that had happened.
Greed stirred within the lazy woodcutter. He grabbed his axe, ran to the lake, threw it into the water, and began to fake his tears. The Guardian appeared and asked about his lost axe. The Guardian vanished and returned with a golden axe; the lazy woodcutter immediately claimed it was his. Enraged by the lie and the greed, the Guardian called him a liar and a cheat, then vanished and never returned. Thus, the lazy woodcutter lost his own axe because of his dishonesty and greed.