The Honest Woodcutter - Simple Truth, Simple Reward (Satya)

Dadi: "Guddu beta, today I'll tell you a story about honesty that has been told across the world for centuries."

Guddu: "Is it a true story, Dadi?"

Dadi: "It teaches a truth, beta. And that's what matters most. Once, there was a poor woodcutter who lived by cutting trees near a river."

Guddu: "Was he very poor?"

Dadi: "He had only one axe to his name. It was old, rusty, and the blade was chipped from years of hard work. But it was all he had. Without it, his family would starve."

Guddu: "One axe was that important?"

Dadi: "One day, as he was chopping a tree by the riverbank, his hands slipped. The axe flew from his grip and splashed into the deep water."

Guddu: "Oh no! Could he swim to get it?"

Dadi: "The river was too deep, beta. He couldn't see the bottom. He sat by the water and began to cry. What would he do now? How would he feed his children?"

Guddu: "*sadly* Poor woodcutter."

Dadi: "As his tears fell into the river, something magical happened. A water spirit rose from the depths, holding a golden axe that gleamed in the sunlight."

Guddu: "A golden axe!"

Dadi: ""Is this your axe?" the spirit asked."

Guddu: "What did the woodcutter say?"

Dadi: "He looked at the beautiful golden axe. Imagine, beta - one golden axe could make him rich forever. He'd never have to work again. His children could eat the finest foods."

Guddu: "Did he say yes?"

Dadi: "He shook his head. "No, sir. My axe had an iron head, worn from use. That beautiful golden one is not mine.""

Guddu: "He told the truth!"

Dadi: "The spirit disappeared beneath the water and returned holding a silver axe that shimmered like moonlight."

Guddu: "Still very valuable!"

Dadi: ""Is this your axe?" the spirit asked again."

Guddu: "What did he say this time?"

Dadi: ""No, sir. Mine was plain iron. I have never owned anything silver.""

Guddu: "He was honest again!"

Dadi: "The spirit disappeared once more and returned with a rusty, chipped iron axe - clearly worn from years of hard work."

Guddu: "His real axe!"

Dadi: ""Is this your axe?""

Guddu: "*excited* "Yes!""

Dadi: "*laughs* That's exactly what the woodcutter said! "Yes! That is mine! Thank you!" He reached for it gratefully."

Guddu: "So he got his axe back. That's a happy ending!"

Dadi: "But wait, beta - there's more. The spirit smiled and gave him all THREE axes - the golden one, the silver one, AND his own."

Guddu: "All three? Why?"

Dadi: "The spirit said: "Your honesty has earned these. Many men would have claimed the gold. You claimed only what was yours. That is worth more than gold.""

Guddu: "Wow! He became rich because he was honest!"

Dadi: "He went home and told his neighbor everything that happened. The neighbor was greedy. He thought: "That's easy! I'll do the same thing!""

Guddu: "*suspicious* Uh oh..."

Dadi: "The neighbor ran to the same riverbank and threw his axe in on purpose. Then he wept loudly until the water spirit appeared."

Guddu: "He faked it!"

Dadi: "The spirit held up the golden axe. "Is this your axe?""

Guddu: "Let me guess - he said yes?"

Dadi: ""Yes! That's mine!" the neighbor shouted eagerly."

Guddu: "But it wasn't!"

Dadi: "The spirit looked at him coldly. "Liar." Then it disappeared, taking all three axes - including the neighbor's real one."

Guddu: "He lost his own axe too?"

Dadi: "He went home with nothing. His greed and dishonesty cost him everything he had."

Guddu: "That's what he deserved!"

Dadi: "Here's the deeper lesson, beta. The honest woodcutter didn't tell the truth because he expected a reward. He simply saw clearly - the golden axe was not his. Taking it would be taking what didn't belong to him."

Guddu: "He wasn't calculating or planning?"

Dadi: "No. He just spoke what was true. His honesty came from seeing clearly. "This is mine, this is not mine." Simple truth, simply spoken."

Guddu: "And the neighbor?"

Dadi: "The neighbor saw the golden axe and thought "mine!" when it was clearly "not mine." He lied to the spirit because he was already lying to himself."

Guddu: "So honesty starts in how we see things?"

Dadi: "*impressed* Exactly, beta! Satya - truthfulness - begins before we even speak. If we see clearly, honest words follow naturally. If we see crookedly, our words will be crooked too."

Guddu: "The river remembered who was honest and who wasn't!"

Dadi: "Reality always remembers, beta. The universe has a way of responding to truth. Those who speak truly find doors opening. Those who lie find them closing."

Guddu: "I want to be like the woodcutter, Dadi. Even if I don't get three axes!"

Dadi: "*hugging him* The real treasure isn't the axes, beta. It's being the kind of person who can look at something valuable and say "That's not mine" - and feel at peace with that truth."

Guddu: "Simple truth, simple peace?"

Dadi: "Simple truth, simple peace. Now, did you finish all your vegetables at lunch?"

Guddu: "*pause* ...I left two peas, Dadi."

Dadi: "*laughs* That's my honest boy! Even about vegetables!"