诚实的樵夫

诚实的樵夫

从前，在大森林的深处，住着一位穷苦的樵夫，他和他的家人住在破旧的茅屋里，在他的茅屋旁，是一条湍流不息的小河。

为了养家糊口，樵夫非常努力地工作着。每天早晨，他都扛着一把旧斧头，到森林里去伐木，一直干到天黑才回家。他是一个乐观的人，他想：只要我身体健康，我的斧头没有问题，那么，我就可以养家糊口。

一天，他像往常一样去森林伐木。斧头砍在木头上，木屑飞溅，清脆的伐木声响遍了整个森林，就好像有十几个伐木工人在工作一样。很快，天色暗了下来，樵夫要回家了。

他扛着斧头，拖着大树，向家里走去。走到河边的时候，他已经很累了，“我要坐下歇一会儿。”樵夫对自己说。

The Honest Woodcutter

Once upon a time, deep in the forest, there lived a very poor woodcutter. The woodcutter and his family lived in a shabby old shed. Next to the shed flowed a fast running stream.

In order to feed his family, the woodcutter worked very hard. Every morning, he would carry an old axe into the forest to fell trees. He would not return until it was dark. He was an optimistic man, and thought that if he was in good health and his axe lasted, then he would be able to feed his family.

One day, he went into the forest to fell trees as usual. When the axe head struck the wood, sawdust flew up, and a crisp sound resounded throughout the forest. It was as if several dozen lumberjacks were working in unison. Soon, it became dark, and the woodcutter prepared to go home.

He slung his axe over his back and pulling the big tree, walked home. When he arrived at the bank of the river, he was already very tired. "I will sit down and rest for a while," said the woodcutter to himself.

他转过身，突然被树根绊了一下，手中的斧头滑落到小河里。可怜的樵夫睁大眼睛，想看清斧头落在了哪里，可是河水太深了，水流又急，什么都看不见。

樵夫坐在地上，难过得大喊：“我该怎么办啊！没有了斧头，以后我怎么养活家人呢？”

他的话被住在河底的仙女听见了，美丽的仙女浮出水面，温和地问道：“樵夫，你遇到了什么伤心的事情吗？”樵夫把自己的遭遇原原本本地向仙女讲了一遍，仙女听完后对樵夫说：“别担心，我是这条河的守护仙女，我会帮助你的。”

说完，仙女就沉到水底，一会儿的工夫，仙女拿着一把纯银的斧头露出水面。

“这把斧头是你的吗？”仙女问他。

樵夫很喜欢这把银斧头，他想，用这把斧头可以给家人买好多东西，但那把斧头不是他的。他摇摇头说：“不，这不是我的斧头。”

He turned to sit, and suddenly tripped on the root of the tree. The axe in his hand slipped into the river. The poor woodcutter opened his eyes wide to try and see where the axe had fallen. However, the water was too deep, and the current too swift. He could not see a thing.

The woodcutter sat on the ground, and shouted out in anguish, "What shall I do! I have no axe. How am I to feed my family now?"

The fairy who lived at the bottom of the river heard his cry. The beautiful fairy floated to the water's surface and asked kindly, "Woodcutter, what has made you so sad?" The woodcutter explained to the fairy everything that had happened to him. On listening to the woodcutter, the fairy said, "Do not worry, I am the fairy who protects this river. I will help you."

On saying this, the fairy dived to the bottom of the river. After a while, she emerged with an axe made of pure silver.

"Is this your axe?" asked the fairy.

The woodcutter liked the silver axe very much. With this axe he could buy many things for his family. However, this was not his axe. He shook his head and said"No, this is not my axe."

仙女又沉入水底，过了一会儿，她拿着一把纯金的斧头浮出水面。“这把斧头是你的吗？”仙女问道。

樵夫看了一眼，对仙女说：“噢，不！这把斧头也不是我的，我的斧头是钢制的。”

仙女再次沉入水底。这次浮出水面后，她拿着一把钢制的斧头，樵夫高兴地说：“对！这把斧头才是我的。谢谢你！善良的仙女。”

仙女对樵夫说：“现在，我把金斧头和银斧头都送给你，因为你是一个诚实的人。”

就这样，樵夫带着三把斧头，高高兴兴地回到家里。从此，他和他的家人就过上了富裕幸福的生活。

The fairy once again dived to the river bed. After a while, she emerged with an axe made of pure gold."Is this your axe?" asked the fairy.

The woodcutter took a glance, and said to the fairy,"Oh, no! This is not mine either. My axe is made of steel."

The fairy dived to the river bed once again. This time, when she floated to the water's surface, she was holding a steel axe. The woodcutter said happily,"Yes! This is my axe. Thank you, kind fairy!"

The fairy said to the woodcutter, "Now I am going to give you the gold axe and the silver axe, because you are an honest man."

And so, the woodcutter clutched his three axes and happily returned home. From then on, he and his family lived a plentiful, happy life.

shabby adj.破旧的

optimistic adj.乐观的

plentiful adj.富裕的