The River Angel and the Lumberjack

  1. A lumberjack was chopping down a tree by the river bank when his ax fell into the water.
  2. An angel appeared from the river and asked him why he looked so sad.
  3. The man replied that he had lost his ax so now it would be difficult for him to make a living.
  4. The angel went into the river and brought up an ax of gold and asked if it was his. The man said no.
  5. The angel then offered up a silver ax and the man declined that one also.
  6. The angel finally brought up the real ax. The man was overjoyed and thanked the angel.
  7. The angel was pleased, so he gave him the the other two axes as a reward for his honesty.
  8. The man told his friend what happened, so his friend went to try out his own luck.
  9. He threw his ax in the water and the angel brought up a gold ax.
  10. The man said, yes, that's my ax, and the angel turned him into a stone statue.