A poor Woodman loses his only axe in a deep forest pool, but the god Mercury appears and retrieves it, testing the Woodman's honesty with golden and silver axes. The Woodman's truthful nature earns him all three axes as a reward. Inspired by his fortune, other Woodmen try to deceive Mercury to gain wealth, but their dishonesty results in a painful lesson and the loss of their axes. This timeless tale emphasizes the value of honesty and the consequences of deceit.