The Gold Axe and the Silver Axe(금도끼 은도끼)
Once upon a time, there lived a poor but good-hearted woodcutter in a small village. Although he had nothing, he was always grateful that he could work and make a living.
Everyday he climbed up the mountain to cut trees.
One day, when he was cutting a tree near a pond, he put too much strength into the axe blow. His axe slipped from his hands and fell into the pond. woodcutter: Oh no, my axe has fallen into the pond. What shall I do? I can not cut the trees without my axe!
Suddenly, an elder with gray hair and gray beard appeared from the pond. He was the spirit of the mountain. mountain spirit: Why are you crying? woodcutter: I dropped my axe into the pond. I cannot make a living without it. Please help me. mountain spirit: I will help you. Wait a second. The mountain spirit pulled out a gold axe from the pond. mountain spirit: Is this gold axe yours? woodcutter: No, sir. That is not mine.
This time, the mountain spirit pulled out a silver axe and asked. mountain spirit: Then is this silver axe your axe? woodcutter: Not that either, sir. Mine is an iron axe. The mountain spirit smiled and put his hand back into the water again and finally took out the woodcutter’s iron axe. mountain spirit: Is this your axe? woodcutter: Yes! That is my axe! mountain spirit: You are a very honest man. I admire your honesty. I will reward you all three axes. The mountain spirit gave the woodcutter three axes and disappeared into the wind. The woodcutter was bewildered. He took the gold axe and the silver axe to the market and sold them. He bought rice and shared the rice with the poor people.
Meanwhile, Chilsung, a greedy man who lived in the same village, came up with a trick after listening to the story of the woodcutter. He ran to the pond where the spirit of the mountain was living.
Chilseong: If I drop an axe in this pond just like the woodcutter, the mountain spirit will appear and give me a gold axe too! Chilseong dropped his iron axe into the pond. Just then, the mountain spirit appeared shrouded in mystic smoke. Chilseong asked him to find his axe.
The mountain spirit took out a gold axe and asked Chilseong. mountain spirit: Is this gold axe your axe? Chilseong: Yes, Sir. That gold axe is mine! mountain spirit: Is that so? How about this silver axe? Chilseong: Yes, that is also mine. This time the mountain spirit pulled out Chilseong’s iron axe from the water. mountain spirit: Is this your axe? Chilseong: No, sir. That iron axe is not mine. mountain spirit: You greedy liar! You threw in an iron axe, and asked for the gold axe and the silver axe! Chilseong: Oh, I was wrong. Please forgive me.
The spirit of the mountain disappeared and did not reappear again. Chilseong lost his iron axe. He realized his mistake and went down the mountain trudging. The woodcutter who helped the poor people without being greedy lived happily ever after.
The End -
