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the honest woodcutter
O nce upon a time out in the green,
silent woods near a rushing river that foamed and sparkled as it hurried along a poor woodcutter worked hard to make a living for his family. Every day he would
would trudge into the forest with his strong, sharp axe over his shoulder.
By and by, the woodcutter thought he would rest forlunch. He leaned hisaxe against the tree and turned to sit down. Just then he tripped over an old, gnarled root and before he he could catch it, his axe slid into the river!
The poor woodcutter gazed into the river trying to look for the axe. But it was very deep in that part of the river. The river flowed over the axe.
He always whistled happily as he went because he was thinking that as long as he had his health and his axe he could earn enough to buy all the food his family needed.
"What will I do?" the woodcutter cried. "I've lost my axe! How will I feed my children now?"
One day he was cutting a large oak tree near the riverside. The chips flew fast at every stroke and the sound of the ringing axe echoed through the forest.
Just as he was talking to himself, a beautiful lady rose from the flowing river. She was the fairy of the river and had come to the surface when she heard the woodcutter's sad cries.
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LIVING VALUES
