Mercury and the Woodman
by Aesop · from Æsop's Fables
Adapted Version
Once, a woodman worked by a river. He cut a big tree. His axe slipped from his hand. The axe fell into the water. It sank to the bottom.
The Woodman was very sad. He lost his tool. He could not work now. He sat by the river. He cried.
Then a bright man came. It was Mercury, the river god. "Why are you sad?" he asked. The Woodman told him. Mercury went into the water. He dived down deep.
Mercury came up. He held a golden axe. "Is this your axe?" he asked. The Woodman looked. "No," he said. "That is not my axe." He was honest.
Mercury dived again. He came up with a silver axe. "Is this your axe?" he asked. The Woodman looked. "No," he said again. "This is not my axe." He was honest.
Mercury dived one more time. He came up with the old axe. It was the Woodman's axe! "Yes!" said the Woodman. "That is my axe!" He was very happy.
Mercury was happy for him. The Woodman was honest. "You are a good man," Mercury said. He gave him all three axes. Golden axe, silver axe, his own axe.
The Woodman went to his friends. He told them his story. He got rich because he was honest. His friends listened closely.
One friend was a Greedy Man. He wanted gold too. He went to the river. He dropped his axe on purpose. He sat down. He cried loudly. It was not real.
Mercury came again. "Why are you sad?" he asked. He dived into the water. He came up with a golden axe. "Is this your axe?" he asked. "Yes! Yes!" said the Greedy Man.
Mercury knew the lie. The Greedy Man was not honest. Mercury was angry. "This is not your axe," he said. He did not give him the gold axe. He did not give him his old axe. The Greedy Man had nothing.
It is good to be honest. It is bad to be greedy.
Original Story
Mercury and The Woodman
A woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river; and by chance let his axe slip from his hand, which dropped into the water and immediately sank to the bottom. Being therefore in great distress, he sat down by the side of the stream and bewailed his loss. Upon this, Mercury, whose river it was, had compassion on him, and appearing before him asked the cause of his sorrow. On hearing it, he dived to the bottom of the river, and coming up again, showed the man a golden hatchet, and asked if that were his. He said that it was not. Then Mercury dived a second time, and brought up a silver one. The woodman refused it, saying again that this was not his. So he dived a third time, and brought up the very axe that had been lost.
"That is mine!" said the Woodman, delighted to have his own again. Mercury was so pleased with his honesty that he made him a present of the other two, as a reward for his just dealing.
The man goes to his companions, and giving them an account of what had happened to him, one of them determined to try whether he might not have the like good fortune. So he went presently to the river's side and let his axe fall on purpose into the stream. Then he sat down on the bank and made a great show of weeping. Mercury appeared as before, and diving, brought up a golden axe. When he asked if that were the one that was lost, "Aye, surely!" said the man, and snatched at it greedily. But Mercury, to punish his impudence and lying, not only refused to give him that, but would not so much as let him have his own axe again.
Story DNA
Moral
Honesty is the best policy, and greed and deceit will lead to loss.
Plot Summary
A poor woodman accidentally drops his axe into a river and weeps. The god Mercury appears and, testing his honesty, offers him a golden axe, then a silver one, both of which the woodman refuses. When Mercury retrieves his simple iron axe, the woodman honestly claims it, and Mercury rewards his integrity by gifting him all three axes. Inspired by this, a greedy companion deliberately drops his axe, but when he lies and claims a golden axe offered by Mercury, he is punished by losing both the golden axe and his own.
Themes
Emotional Arc
distress to reward to punishment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Aesop's Fables are a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE. They are characterized by anthropomorphic animals and a clear moral lesson.
Plot Beats (11)
- A woodman is felling a tree by a river and accidentally drops his axe into the water.
- Distressed by his loss, the woodman sits by the river and weeps.
- Mercury appears, asks the cause of his sorrow, and dives into the river.
- Mercury first brings up a golden hatchet, which the woodman honestly denies is his.
- Mercury dives a second time and brings up a silver hatchet, which the woodman also denies.
- Mercury dives a third time and brings up the woodman's own axe, which he joyfully claims.
- Pleased with the woodman's honesty, Mercury gifts him all three axes.
- The woodman tells his companions about his good fortune.
- One greedy companion deliberately drops his axe into the river and pretends to weep.
- Mercury appears and brings up a golden axe, which the greedy man immediately claims.
- Mercury, seeing the man's dishonesty, punishes him by refusing to give him the golden axe and also not returning his own axe.
Characters
★
The Honest Woodman
A man of average height with a sturdy, muscular build from years of manual labor. His hands are calloused and strong. His skin is tanned and weathered from working outdoors under the sun.
Attire: A simple, practical tunic made of coarse, undyed linen, possibly with a leather belt cinched at the waist. He wears sturdy, dark wool trousers and rough leather boots, all showing signs of wear and tear from his profession. His clothing is functional, not decorative, and appropriate for a laborer in ancient Greece.
Wants: To earn an honest living and provide for himself, to recover his lost tool which is essential for his livelihood.
Flaw: His livelihood is dependent on a single tool, making him vulnerable to loss.
He begins in distress over a loss but is rewarded for his honesty, learning that integrity can bring unexpected fortune.
Honest, humble, hardworking, content with his lot, grateful.
◆
Mercury
A youthful, athletic, and graceful figure, embodying divine perfection. He is slender but muscled, radiating an ethereal quality. His skin is smooth and unblemished, with a subtle glow.
Attire: He wears a short, light chiton (tunic) made of fine, flowing white or pale blue linen, often draped elegantly. His most distinctive garments are his winged sandals (talaria) and a winged cap (petasus). He might carry a caduceus, a staff entwined with two serpents.
Wants: To oversee the river, to test human character, to reward honesty and punish deceit.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, being a god, but he is provoked by human dishonesty.
He acts as a divine arbiter, revealing the true character of the woodmen and dispensing justice accordingly. His character remains consistent as a force of divine judgment.
Observant, just, compassionate (initially), discerning, swift to act, punitive when provoked by dishonesty.
⚔
The Dishonest Woodman
Similar to the Honest Woodman in build, sturdy from labor, but perhaps with a slightly more unkempt or greedy appearance. His features might be sharper or more calculating.
Attire: Similar simple, coarse linen tunic, dark wool trousers, and leather boots as the Honest Woodman, but possibly more worn or less carefully maintained, reflecting a less meticulous character. His clothing is functional for a laborer in ancient Greece.
Wants: To gain wealth and material possessions through deceit, to exploit a perceived opportunity for personal gain without effort.
Flaw: His overwhelming greed and dishonesty, which lead to his downfall.
He attempts to replicate the Honest Woodman's good fortune through deceit but is punished for his dishonesty, losing even what he originally possessed.
Greedy, dishonest, cunning, opportunistic, impudent, lazy (wants easy gain).
Locations
River Bank by the Forest
The edge of a flowing river, likely in a temperate European forest, where a woodman was working. The ground would be earthy, possibly muddy near the water's edge, with tree roots exposed and fallen leaves. The river itself is deep enough to swallow an axe.
Mood: initially industrious, then despairing, later hopeful and finally rewarded
The woodman loses his axe, encounters Mercury, and demonstrates his honesty, leading to his reward.
Depths of the River
The murky, unseen bottom of a river where the axe sinks. It's a place of concealment, where Mercury retrieves the lost items.
Mood: mysterious, hidden, magical
Mercury retrieves the axes, testing the woodman's honesty.