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.
川べりで木を切っていたきこりが、うっかり斧を深いふちに落としてしまった。暮らしを立てる道具をなくしてしまったきこりは、岸に座りこんで、わが身の不運を嘆いた。そこへメルクリウスが現れ、なぜ泣いているのかとたずねた。きこりが自分の災難を話すと、メルクリウスは川に飛びこみ、金の斧を持って上がってきて、おまえがなくしたのはこれかとたずねた。きこりが自分のものではないと言うと、メルクリウスはもう一度水の中に姿を消し、銀の斧を手にして戻ってきて、またきこりに、これはおまえのものかとたずねた。きこりがちがうと言うと、メルクリウスは三度目にふちにもぐり、なくした斧を持って上がってきた。きこりはそれが自分のものだと言い、取り戻せたことを喜んだ。メルクリウスはきこりの正直さを気に入り、彼自身の斧に加えて、金の斧と銀の斧も与えた。きこりは家に帰ると、起こったことをすべて仲間たちに話した。仲間の一人は、すぐさま、自分も同じ幸運をつかんでやろうと決めた。その男は川へ走っていって、同じ場所のふちにわざと自分の斧を投げこみ、岸に座って泣いた。男の思惑どおり、メルクリウスが現れた。そして男の嘆きのわけを聞くと、川に飛びこんで金の斧を持って上がってきて、なくしたのはこれかとたずねた。男は欲張ってそれをひったくり、たしかに自分がなくしたのはまさにこの斧だと言い張った。メルクリウスは男のずるさに腹を立て、金の斧を取り上げたばかりか、男がふちに投げこんだ斧も拾ってやらなかった。