One day, while a woodcutter was cutting a branch of a
tree above a river, his axe fell into the river. When
he cried out, the Lord appeared and asked,"Why are you
crying?"
The woodcutter replied that his axe has fallen into
water, and he needed the axe to make his living.
The Lord went down into the water and reappeared with
a golden axe."Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.
The woodcutter replied, "No."
The Lord again went down and came up with a silver
axe. "Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.
Again, the woodcutter replied, "No."
The Lord went down again and came up with an iron axe.
"Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.
The woodcutter replied, "Yes."
The Lord was pleased with the man's honesty and gave
him all three axes to keep, and the woodcutter went
home happy.
Some time later the woodcutter was walking with his
wife along the riverbank, and his wife fell into the
river.
When he cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked
him,"Why are you crying?"
"Oh Lord, my wife has fallen into the water!"
The Lord went down into the water and came up with
Jennifer Lopez.
"Is this your wife?" the Lord asked.
"Yes," cried the woodcutter.
The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is a sin!"
The woodcutter replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It
is a misunderstanding.
You see, if I had said 'no' to Jennifer Lopez, You
would have come up with Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Then if I said 'no' to her, you would have come up
with my wife.
Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all
three.
Lord, I am a poor man, and am not able to take care of
three wives, so THAT'S why I said yes to Jennifer
Lopez."
The moral of this story is:
1. Man rarely lies.
2. When men DO lie, it is for a good and honorable
reason, and for the benefit of others.
*By unknown source.