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a workman felling wood by the side of a river let his axe drop - by accident into a deep pool
being thus deprived of the means of his livelihood he sat down on the bank and lamented his hard fate
mercury appeared and demanded the cause of his tears
after he told him his misfortune mercury plunged into the stream and bringing up a golden axe inquired if that were the one he had lost
on his saying that it was not his mercury disappeared beneath the water a second time returned with a silver axe in his hand and again asked the workman if it were his
when the workman said it was not he dived into the pool for the third time and brought up the axe that had been lost
the workman claimed it and expressed his joy at its recovery
mercury pleased with his honesty gave him the golden and silver axes in addition to his own
the workman on his return to his house related to his companions all that had happened
one of them at once resolved to try and secure the same good fortune for himself
he ran to the river and threw his axe on purpose into the pool at the same place and sat down on the bank to weep
mercury appeared to him just as he hoped he would
and having learned the cause of his grief plunged into the stream and brought up a golden axe inquiring if he had lost it
the workman seized it greedily and declared that truly it was the very same axe that he had lost
mercury displeased at his knavery not only took away the golden axe but refused to recover for him the axe he had thrown into the pool