Korean Folktale : The Honest Woodcutter

🍂 Korean Folktale Series 6

“The Honest Woodcutter”
(금도끼 은도끼 · Geumdokki Eundokki)

🕰️ 1. The Story

Once upon a time, a poor but honest woodcutter lived near a deep forest. One day, while chopping wood by a pond, his only axe accidentally slipped from his hands and sank into the water. Knowing his survival depended on that tool, the man sat down in deep despair.

 

Moved by the man’s sincerity, the Mountain Spirit appeared and offered to help. The spirit first pulled out a gleaming gold axe, asking, “Is this yours?” The woodcutter shook his head no. The spirit then showed him a silver axe, and again, he refused to claim it. Finally, when his old iron axe appeared, the woodcutter bowed deeply and said, “Yes, that is mine.”

The Mountain Spirit was so pleased by his truthfulness that he rewarded him with all three axes—the gold, silver, and iron ones. Later, a greedy man heard the story, threw his own axe into the pond, and tried to deceive the spirit. When the spirit offered him the gold axe first, the greedy man instantly claimed it as his own. Displeased by his dishonesty, the spirit immediately vanished, leaving the greedy man with nothing.

 

🪄 2. Meaning & Lessons

The tale of The Honest Woodcutter teaches essential life virtues:

• The enduring power of honesty and integrity.
• The truth that greed brings loss, while sincerity brings reward.
• The timeless belief that moral goodness is far more valuable than material wealth.

👀 3. Examples from Life

• A student who admits a mistake earns far more respect than one who tries to hide it.
• A business built on genuine trust will succeed and last longer than one built on deceit.
• In daily life, choosing honesty may not always be easy, but it consistently brings peace of mind.

🌏 4. Similar Tales Around the World

•  Japan: Folktales of spirits rewarding honest villagers with gifts of gold or fortune.
•  China: Stories where gods test the virtue of mortals through various temptations.
•  Europe / 🇺🇸 U.S.: George Washington and the Cherry Tree, celebrating truthfulness.

💬 A Warm Saying

“Gold and silver may shine for a moment,
but honesty shines forever.”

 

📌 Note

This is a creative cultural content from the Misojieum Story Blog (kor-telling.com).
Please do not copy without permission.
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