An honest woodcutter lived in a village with his poor family who depended on his income. One day, while cutting wood by a river, the woodcutter's axe fell into the water. The water deity appeared and retrieved the axe to return it to its rightful owner. When offered gold and silver replacements, the woodcutter insisted on keeping only his original axe. Impressed by his honesty, the deity rewarded the woodcutter with the additional axes.