There was once a boy named Kiran. He was a woodcutter who lived in a small village near a big forest. Every day, Kiran went into the forest to cut wood. He sold the wood in the market to earn money. Kiran was not rich, but he was always happy. He believed that being honest and working hard was more important than having lots of money.

One morning, Kiran was cutting wood near a river. Suddenly, his axe slipped from his hands and fell into the river. The water was deep and fast, and the axe quickly disappeared. Kiran felt very sad. He needed the axe to work and earn money. Now, he did not know what to do.

As Kiran sat by the river, he started to cry. Just then, the water began to shine, and a kind river spirit appeared. She smiled at Kiran and asked, “Why are you so sad, dear boy?”

Kiran replied, “Oh kind spirit, I dropped my axe into the river. It was my only tool to cut wood and earn money. Now I have nothing.”

The river spirit listened to Kiran and then disappeared under the water. She soon came back with a shiny golden axe. She asked, “Is this your axe?”

Kiran was surprised and said, “No, that is not my axe. My axe was old and made of iron, not gold.”

The spirit smiled and went back into the water. This time, she brought out a silver axe. She asked, “Is this your axe?”

Kiran shook his head and said, “No, that is not my axe either. My axe was made of iron.”

The spirit smiled again and went into the water one more time. This time, she brought back an old iron axe. She asked, “Is this your axe, Kiran?”

Kiran’s face lit up with happiness. “Yes! That is my axe! Thank you so much!”

The river spirit was very pleased with Kiran’s honesty. She said, “Because you are honest and did not lie, I will give you all three axes-the golden one, the silver one, and your own iron axe.”

Kiran was very happy and thanked the spirit. He used his new axes to help other people in his village. Everyone respected Kiran for his honesty and kindness.

Moral of the Story

Honesty is always the best policy. If you are honest, you will earn trust and may receive rewards you never expected. Just like Kiran, always tell the truth and do the right thing!