The Honest Woodcutter
Once there was a poor woodcutter who cried aloud because he had dropped his axe into a deep pond. Suddenly, a friendly water spirit appeared before him with a silver axe and asked, “IS this yours?”
“No,” the woodcutter said.
The spirit returned with a golden axe. “Is this yours?” she asked again.
“No, it is not mine,”said the woodcutter.
Then, the spirit appeared with his plain wooden axe.
“That one is mine!” said the woodcutter happily.
To hear the answer, the spirit said, “You’ve been so honest, so take the gold and silver axes too!”
On the way home, the woodcutter met a rich merchant. When the merchant heard the woodcutter’s story, he ran to the pond and dropped his wooden axe in it. He also cried aloud. The same thing happened. The spirit appeared with a silver axe. The same merchant shouted quickly, “That one is mine!”
“You know it is not,” said the spirit, and disappeared. The rich man’s wooden axe stayed at the bottom of the deep pond.
Questions:
1. Where did the story take place?
a. In a forest c. At a pond
b. At seashore d. On the road
2. What was the woodcutter’s axe like?
a. It was plain and made of gold c. It was plain and made of silver
b. It was decorated and made of wood d. It was plain and made of wood
3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
a. The woodcutter brought home wooden, silver and gold axes
b. At first the spirit appeared before the woodcutter with a gold axe
c. the woodcutter looked for his silver axe in the pond
d. The merchant dropped a gold axe into the pond
4. What can we learn from the story?
a. We should be generous. c. We must work hard
b. We should be honest d. We can’t live without others
Key Answer
1. C
2. D
3. A
4. B
