Reward of Honesty
Chapter 1. Once upon a time, there lived a poor Woodcutter in a village. Every day he went to the forest to Wood.
Chapter 2. One day, while he cutting a tree near a river, his axe fell into the water. The Woodcutter became very sad because it was his only axe.
Chapter 3. Suddenly a fairly appeared and asked him why he was crying. The Woodcutter told her the whole story. The fairy dived into the river and brought a golden axe. But the Woodcutter happily said it was his.
Chapter 4. Then she brought a silver axe. The Woodcutter again said it was not his. Finally, she brought his iron axe. The Woodcutter happily said it was his.
Chapter 5. The fairy was pleased with his honesty and gave him all the three as a reward.
Moral: Honesty is the best policy. Title: The Honest Man
Once upon a time, in a small village named Sundarpur, there lived a poor but honest man named Ramesh. The village was surrounded by green fields, rivers, and tall trees. Most of the villagers were farmers, and they worked hard every day to earn their living. Ramesh was also a farmer, but he owned only a very small piece of land. Even though he was poor, he was known throughout the village for his honesty and kind heart.
Ramesh lived with his wife Sita and their young son Rahul. Their house was small and simple, made of mud and bamboo, but it was always full of love and happiness. Every morning, Ramesh woke up before sunrise, prayed to God, and then went to his field with his tools. He worked very hard, growing rice and vegetables. Although his harvest was not always large, he never complained.
One day, while working in his field, Ramesh noticed something shining in the soil. Curious, he stopped digging and picked it up. To his surprise, it was a small golden coin. He looked around but saw no one nearby. The coin looked very old and valuable.
For a moment, Ramesh thought about keeping the coin. His family needed money badly. His son needed books for school, and sometimes they did not have enough food. But soon he shook his head and said to himself, "This coin does not belong to me. Someone must have lost it."
So Ramesh decided to find the owner of the coin. After finishing his work, he went to the village market and asked people if anyone had lost a gold coin. Most people looked surprised. Some laughed and said, "Why are you asking? Just keep it. Nobody will know."
But Ramesh replied calmly, "If something is not mine, I cannot keep it."
The news of Ramesh's honesty quickly spread through the village. Some people admired him, while others thought he was foolish.
A few days later, a rich merchant named Mahendra came to the village. He was traveling through the area and stopped at Sundarpur to rest. While talking with the villagers, he heard about Ramesh and the gold coin.
The merchant became curious. He went to meet Ramesh and asked, "Is it true that you found a gold coin and are trying to find its owner?"
"Yes," Ramesh replied politely. "I found it in my field. If it belongs to someone, I want to return it."
The merchant smiled and said, "Let me see the coin."
Ramesh brought the coin from his house and showed it to Mahendra. The merchant looked at it carefully. Then he said, "This coin is very rare and old. It may belong to a traveler who passed through this area."
Ramesh said, "If you know the owner, please take it and return it to them."
The merchant looked at Ramesh with respect. He said, "You are a truly honest man. Many people would have kept this coin."
Ramesh simply smiled and said, "Honesty is more valuable than gold."
The merchant was very impressed. Before leaving the village, he decided to test Ramesh's honesty. The next day, he secretly dropped a small bag of money near Ramesh's field.
As expected, Ramesh found the bag while working. When he opened it, he saw many silver coins inside. Once again, he looked around for the owner.
Instead of keeping the money, he immediately went to the village square and announced loudly, "Has anyone lost a bag of coins?"
Soon, the merchant came forward and said, "Yes, I lost a bag of coins."
Ramesh happily handed it back to him.
The merchant then revealed the truth. He said, "Ramesh, I dropped the bag on purpose to test you. I wanted to see if you were really as honest as people said."
The villagers gathered around and listened carefully.
The merchant continued, "You have passed the test. Your honesty is rare and precious. I want to reward you."
He gave Ramesh a large sum of money and also offered to help him improve his farm. With this help, Ramesh was able to buy better tools and seeds. His farm became more productive, and his family's life improved.
However, even after becoming more comfortable, Ramesh remained the same humble and honest man. He helped poor villagers, shared his harvest with neighbors, and always spoke the truth.
Years later, people still told the story of Ramesh, the honest man of Sundarpur. Parents told their children about him to teach them the value of honesty.
And so, the simple farmer became a symbol of truth and integrity in the village.
Moral: Honesty is the best policy.The Honest Man
Once upon a time, in a quiet village surrounded by green fields, tall palm trees, and a flowing river, there lived a poor farmer named Ramesh. The village was small, but it was very peaceful and beautiful. The villagers were simple people who worked hard every day. They believed in honesty, kindness, and helping one another.
Ramesh was one of the poorest men in the village. He lived in a small mud house with his wife Sita and their young son Rahul. Their house had a roof made of dry straw. During the rainy season, water sometimes leaked through the roof, but the family never complained.
Even though Ramesh was poor, he was respected by everyone. The villagers often said that Ramesh was the most honest man they had ever met. He always spoke the truth and never tried to cheat anyone.
Every morning before sunrise, Ramesh woke up early. He washed his face with cold water, said a small prayer, and prepared to go to his field. His field was very small, but he worked there with great dedication.
Sometimes the sun was very hot, and sometimes the rain made the soil muddy. But Ramesh never stopped working hard. He believed that honesty and hard work were the most important things in life.
His wife Sita was also very hardworking. She cooked food, cleaned the house, fetched water from the village well, and sometimes helped Ramesh in the field.
Their son Rahul was about eight years old. He was a curious boy who liked to ask many questions. He admired his father very much.
One day Rahul asked his father, "Father, why do you always say that honesty is important?"
Ramesh smiled and said, "My son, honesty is the greatest treasure a person can have. Money can be lost, but honesty will always stay with you."
Rahul listened carefully and promised that he would always try to be honest.
The villagers trusted Ramesh deeply. Whenever there was a problem or a disagreement between two people, they often went to Ramesh for advice. He always listened carefully and tried to solve the problem fairly.
One evening two farmers came to him arguing about the boundary between their fields. Each of them believed that the land belonged to him.
Ramesh went to the field and carefully examined the land. After thinking for some time, he explained the truth to both farmers.
At first they were unhappy, but later they realized that Ramesh was right. They thanked him and settled their dispute peacefully.
Because of such incidents, the villagers respected Ramesh even more.
One hot afternoon during the summer season, Ramesh went to the nearby town to sell vegetables from his field. He carried a basket filled with fresh vegetables on his shoulder and walked several miles to the market.
At the market he sold the vegetables and bought rice, oil, and salt for his family.
When he finished his work, the sun was beginning to set. The sky turned orange and red as the evening approached.
Ramesh began walking back home along the dusty road.
As he walked slowly, he noticed something lying near a large banyan tree beside the road.
It was a brown leather bag.
Ramesh picked it up and felt that it was quite heavy.
Curious, he opened the bag.
Inside he saw many shining gold coins.
Ramesh was shocked. He had never seen so much money in his life.
For a moment he stood silently, thinking about the bag.
Many thoughts came into his mind.
With this money he could repair his broken house. He could buy more land and better tools. His son Rahul could go to a good school and get a better education.
His family would never have to worry about food again.
But after thinking for a moment, Ramesh shook his head.
"This money does not belong to me," he said to himself. "Someone must have lost it."
He closed the bag and decided to take it home safely.
When Ramesh reached home, Sita greeted him with a smile. He showed her the bag and told her everything.
Sita was surprised to see the gold coins.
But she said proudly, "You did the right thing. Tomorrow we must find the real owner and return the money."
The next morning Ramesh went to the village market with the bag.
Standing in the middle of the market, he spoke loudly so that everyone could hear him.
"Yesterday I found a leather bag full of gold coins near the banyan tree. If anyone has lost it, please come and describe the bag."
Many villagers gathered around him.
Some greedy men tried to claim the bag, but when Ramesh asked them to describe the bag and the number of coins, they failed.
After some time, a rich merchant entered the market looking very worried.
His name was Mahesh.
He asked the villagers, "Has anyone found a leather bag full of gold coins? I lost it yesterday while traveling."
Someone pointed to Ramesh.
Mahesh quickly went to him and said, "Sir, I heard you found a bag."
Ramesh asked him to describe it.
Mahesh said, "It is a brown leather bag tied with a red thread, and there are one hundred gold coins inside."
Ramesh checked the bag. Everything was exactly the same.
So he gave the bag to Mahesh.
Mahesh counted the coins and found that all one hundred coins were there.
He was very happy and grateful.
"You are truly an honest man," he said.
He offered ten gold coins to Ramesh as a reward, but Ramesh politely refused.
"I did not return the bag for a reward," he said. "I only did what was right."
Mahesh was deeply impressed by Ramesh's honesty.
A few days later, he returned to the village with new farming tools and good seeds and gave them to Ramesh as a gift.
With the new tools, Ramesh's farming improved greatly.
Soon his crops became better, and his family's life slowly improved.
The story of his honesty spread to nearby villages and towns.
One day even the king heard about the honest farmer.
The king became curious and decided to test him.
He disguised himself as a traveler and came to the village.
While walking near Ramesh's field, he dropped a purse full of silver coins.
After some time, Ramesh found the purse.
Just like before, he began asking people if they had lost it.
The king watched everything quietly.
Finally he came forward and described the purse correctly.
Then he revealed his true identity.
The villagers were surprised.
The king smiled and said, "Ramesh, I came here to test your honesty. You have proved that you are truly an honest man."
As a reward, the king gave Ramesh a large piece of fertile land and made him the head of the village council.
Ramesh accepted the responsibility humbly.
He continued helping the villagers solve their problems fairly.
Years passed, and Rahul grew up into a good young man.
He followed his father's teachings and became honest and hardworking.
The villagers often told the story of Ramesh to their children.
They said that honesty may not make a person rich immediately, but it always brings respect, trust, and happiness.
And so the story of the honest man inspired many generations.
Moral: Honesty is the best policy.The Honest Man
Part 1
Once upon a time, in a quiet and beautiful village surrounded by green fields and tall trees, there lived a poor farmer named Ramesh. The village was small but very peaceful. A narrow river flowed slowly beside the village, and birds sang sweet songs every morning. The people of the village were simple and hardworking. They respected honesty and kindness.
Ramesh was known by everyone in the village as the most honest man. He was not rich. In fact, he struggled every day to earn enough food for his family. But even though he was poor, he was respected by everyone because of his honesty and good character.
Ramesh lived in a small mud house with his wife Sita and their little son Rahul. Their house had a thatched roof made of dry straw. During the rainy season, water sometimes leaked through the roof. Yet the family never complained much about their situation.
Every morning before sunrise, Ramesh woke up early. He washed his face with cold water from a clay pot and then offered a short prayer to God. After that, he took his farming tools and walked toward his small field outside the village.
His field was not very big, but he worked there with great dedication. Sometimes the sun was very hot, and sometimes the rain made the soil muddy and difficult to work in. Still, Ramesh never stopped working hard.
Sita also worked very hard. She woke up early every day to cook food for the family. She cleaned the house, fetched water from the village well, and sometimes helped Ramesh in the field.
Their son Rahul was about eight years old. He was a curious and cheerful boy who loved asking questions. Rahul admired his father very much. He often followed Ramesh to the field and watched him work.
One day Rahul asked, "Father, why do you always work so hard even when we have so little land?"
Ramesh smiled and replied, "My son, hard work is the only way to live an honest life. Even if we are poor, we must always work honestly."
Rahul listened carefully to his father's words.
In the village, people trusted Ramesh deeply. If two villagers had a disagreement or a problem, they often asked Ramesh for advice. They knew he would always tell the truth and try to solve the problem fairly.
One evening, two farmers came to Ramesh with a dispute about the boundary between their fields. Each farmer claimed that the land belonged to him.
Ramesh carefully listened to both sides. Then he inspected the land and looked at the old boundary marks.
After thinking quietly for a few minutes, he explained the truth to both farmers. At first they were upset, but soon they realized that Ramesh was right.
They thanked him and settled their dispute peacefully.
Because of such incidents, the villagers respected Ramesh more and more every day.
One hot afternoon during the summer season, Ramesh went to the nearby town to sell some vegetables from his field. He walked several miles carrying a basket on his shoulder.
After selling the vegetables in the market, he bought some rice, salt, and oil for his family. When he finished his work, the sun was already starting to set.
Ramesh began walking back to the village along the dusty road. The evening sky was turning orange and pink.
As he walked slowly, thinking about his family, he suddenly noticed something lying near a large banyan tree beside the road.
It was a leather bag.
At first he thought it might be empty, but when he picked it up, he realized it was quite heavy.
Curious, he opened the bag.
Inside the bag were many shining gold coins.
Ramesh was shocked.
He had never seen so many gold coins in his life. The coins glittered brightly in the fading sunlight.
For a moment he stood silently, holding the bag.
Many thoughts came into his mind.
With this money, he could repair his broken house. He could buy more land and better farming tools. His family would never have to worry about food again.
Rahul could go to a good school and get a better education.
But then another thought came to his mind.
"This money does not belong to me," he said quietly to himself.
"Someone must have lost it and must be very worried now."
Ramesh closed the bag carefully.
He looked around, but there was no one on the road.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to take the bag home safely and find the real owner the next day.
When Ramesh reached home, it was already dark.
Sita welcomed him and took the basket from his shoulder.
"You look tired," she said. "Come and eat dinner."
But before sitting down, Ramesh showed her the bag.
When Sita opened it and saw the gold coins, she was shocked.
"Where did you get this?" she asked in surprise.
Ramesh told her everything about finding the bag near the banyan tree.
Sita listened quietly.
For a few seconds she remained silent.
Then she smiled gently and said, "You did the right thing by bringing it home safely. Tomorrow we must find the owner and return it."
Ramesh nodded in agreement.
That night they kept the bag hidden safely inside their house.
But Ramesh could not sleep easily.
He kept thinking about the unknown person who had lost the bag.
"Perhaps that person needs this money badly," he thought.
"The owner must be very worried."
Early the next morning, Ramesh woke up before sunrise again.
After finishing his morning work, he took the bag and walked toward the village market.
He planned to ask people if anyone had lost a bag of gold coins.
The market was already busy with farmers, traders, and villagers.
Standing in the middle of the market, Ramesh spoke loudly so everyone could hear him.
"Listen everyone! Yesterday I found a leather bag full of gold coins on the road near the banyan tree. If someone has lost it, please come and describe the bag."
People immediately gathered around him.
Some were surprised.
Some were curious.
And some greedy people began thinking about claiming the bag.
Ramesh stood calmly, holding the bag and waiting for the real owner.
Little did he know that this simple act of honesty would soon change his life forever.The Honest Man
Part 2
As soon as Ramesh finished speaking in the market, many people gathered around him. Everyone was surprised to hear that someone had found a bag full of gold coins. Some people whispered to each other, while others stared at the bag with curiosity.
A few greedy men quickly stepped forward.
One of them said loudly, "That bag belongs to me! I lost it yesterday."
Ramesh looked at the man calmly and asked, "If it is yours, please describe the bag and tell me how many coins are inside."
The man became nervous. He tried to think of an answer but could not say anything clearly. Finally, he muttered something and slowly walked away.
Soon another man tried to claim the bag.
He said confidently, "Yes, that is my bag."
Again Ramesh asked the same question, "Please tell me the color of the bag and the number of coins inside."
The man guessed, "Maybe… about fifty coins?"
Ramesh shook his head.
"That is not correct," he said. "This bag does not belong to you."
The crowd began to understand that Ramesh would not give the bag to anyone unless they proved it truly belonged to them.
Many villagers admired his honesty.
Hours passed, but no one could correctly describe the bag.
Just when Ramesh was beginning to think about returning home, a tired-looking merchant entered the market. He was dressed in fine clothes, but his face showed great worry.
His name was Mahesh, a wealthy trader who often traveled between towns to buy and sell goods.
Mahesh asked several people in the market, "Has anyone seen a leather bag full of gold coins? I lost it yesterday while traveling."
Someone pointed toward Ramesh and said, "That farmer found a bag yesterday."
Mahesh quickly walked toward Ramesh.
With hope in his voice he said, "Sir, I heard you found a bag of gold coins."
Ramesh nodded.
"Yes," he said calmly. "But I will return it only to the real owner. Can you describe the bag?"
Mahesh immediately replied, "It is a brown leather bag tied with a red thread. Inside it there are exactly one hundred gold coins."
Ramesh slowly opened the bag.
Everything was exactly as the merchant had described.
The bag was brown leather, tied with a red thread, and inside were one hundred gold coins.
Without hesitation, Ramesh handed the bag to the merchant.
"This must be yours," he said.
Mahesh opened the bag and counted the coins carefully.
All one hundred coins were there.
The merchant's face filled with happiness and relief.
"You have saved me from great trouble," he said gratefully. "These coins were very important for my business."
He looked at Ramesh with admiration.
"I have traveled through many villages and towns," Mahesh continued, "but I have rarely met such an honest man."
He took ten gold coins from the bag and offered them to Ramesh.
"Please accept this small reward for your honesty."
But Ramesh gently pushed the coins back.
"I am sorry," he said politely. "I cannot take a reward. I simply returned what belonged to you."
Mahesh was amazed.
"Most people would have kept the coins," he said. "But you chose honesty instead."
The villagers who were watching began praising Ramesh.
"He is truly the most honest man in our village," one of them said proudly.
Mahesh wanted to thank Ramesh in some meaningful way.
So he asked about Ramesh's life.
When he learned that Ramesh was a poor farmer with only a small piece of land, he felt very touched.
"You may not accept money as a reward," Mahesh said thoughtfully, "but please allow me to help you in another way."
A few days later, Mahesh returned to the village.
This time he brought new farming tools, good seeds, and a strong plough.
He gave them to Ramesh as a gift.
"These are not a reward," he said with a smile. "They are simply a token of my gratitude."
Ramesh finally agreed to accept the gift.
With the new tools and seeds, Ramesh's farming improved greatly.
That year his crops grew stronger and healthier than ever before.
The villagers were happy to see his success.
But even though his life slowly became easier, Ramesh remained humble and honest.
Every evening he told Rahul stories about honesty and kindness.
Rahul listened carefully and learned important lessons from his father.
Soon the story of Ramesh's honesty spread to nearby villages and towns.
People began talking about the poor farmer who returned a bag full of gold coins without taking any reward.
One day, even the king of the region heard this story.
The king was curious.
"Is there really such an honest man?" he wondered.
He decided that he must see the truth for himself.
So he planned a secret visit to the village to test Ramesh's honesty.
What happened next would make Ramesh's story even more famous throughout the kingdom.Part 3
Mahesh wanted to thank Ramesh in some way. So a few days later he returned to the village.
This time he brought good farming tools, strong seeds, and a new plough.
"These are not a reward," Mahesh said. "They are a gift to help you."
Ramesh accepted the gift with gratitude.
With the new tools and seeds, his farming improved greatly. That year his crops grew better than ever before.
The villagers were happy to see his success.
Soon the story of Ramesh's honesty spread to many nearby villages and towns.
One day even the king heard the story.
The king became curious and decided to test Ramesh himself.
He disguised himself as a traveler and came to the village.
While walking near Ramesh's field, the king dropped a purse full of silver coins on the road.
After some time, Ramesh found the purse.
He picked it up and started asking people if they had lost it.
The king watched everything quietly from a distance.
Finally he came forward and asked, "Have you found a purse?"
Ramesh asked him to describe it.
The traveler described the purse correctly.
Then the king smiled and revealed his real identity.
Everyone was shocked.
Part 4
The king said, "Ramesh, I came here to test your honesty. Your story was true. You are indeed an honest man."
The villagers were proud of Ramesh.
As a reward, the king gave Ramesh a large piece of fertile land. He also made him the head of the village council.
Ramesh accepted the responsibility humbly.
He continued helping the villagers solve their problems fairly and wisely.
Years passed, and Rahul grew up into a good young man. He always remembered his father's teachings.
One day Rahul asked, "Father, what is the most valuable thing in life?"
Ramesh replied, "Honesty and good character are the greatest treasures. Money may come and go, but honesty stays forever."
Rahul promised to follow the same path.
The villagers often told the story of Ramesh to their children.
The story of the honest farmer spread throughout the kingdom.
People remembered him as a man who chose honesty over wealth.
And because of that, he earned something far more valuable than gold — respect, trust, and happiness.
Moral: Honesty is the best policy.