Character Index | Proverb Index
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| Character Index | Proverb Index |
Townsend version
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.
L'Estrange version
A carpenter dropt his axe into a river, and put up a prayer to Mercury to help him to't again. Mercury div'd for't, and brought him up a golden one: but that was not it the fellow said: and so he plung'd a second time, and fetch'd up another, of silver. He sayd that was not it neither. He try'd once again, and then up comes an axe with a wooden handle, which the carpenter, sayd was the very tool that he had lost. Well! (says Mercury) thou art so just a poor wretch, that I'le give thee all three now for thy honesty. This story was got into every bodies mouth, and the rumour being spread, it came into a knaves head to try the same experiment over again. And so away goes he and down he sits, sniv'ling and whelping upon the bank of a river, that he had dropt his axe into the water there. Mercury, that was at hand it seems, heard his lamentation, and dipping once again for his axe, as he had done for the other; up he brings him a golden axe, and asks the fellow if that were it. Yes, yes, says he, this is it. Oh thou impudent sot, cryes Mercury; to think of putting tricks upon him that sees through the very heart of thee.
Moral
The great searcher of our hearts is not to be impos'd upon, but he will take his own time either to reward or punish.
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Tom Simondi, All Rights Reserved