A woodcutter was cutting a branch of a tree when his axe fell in the river. He tried to locate it but he didn't know swimming. So, he started to pray to Lord Krishna and he prayed so hard that Krishnaji appeared himself and asked him what he wanted. He told Krishnaji what had happened.
In no time Krishnaji brought out a silver axe and offered it to the woodcutter. Being an extremely honest man, he told Krishnaji that that axe was not his. Krishnaji took another dip in the river and this time he brought a golden axe. The woodcutter again refused to accept it stating that that one was not his. So Krishnaji had no alternative but to jump again in the river and this time he brought out the real iron axe belonging to the woodcutter. The woodcutter gladly accepted it. However, Krishnaji said that since he had given such a good proof of his extreme honesty, which may not always be the case with his bhaktas, he gave him all three axes as reward.
The woodcutter was very happy and on reaching home told his wife the whole episode and showed her the three axes. The wife became very excited and said he must take her to the spot where the incident happened.
Both came to the river and as destiny would have it, the wife slipped into the river. The woodcutter was distraughtwith grief and again started praying very hard. Krishnaji appeared again and asked what was bothering him now. The woodcutter told him how his wife had slipped into the river. Krishnaji jumped into the river and came out with Aishwarya Rai and asked the woodcutter if that was his wife. After thinking a little, the woodcutter said, yes.
Krishnaji was surprised at such a big change in the honest man becoming such a big liar in one day. He asked him that he can't believe this. The woodcutter admitted that he was lying but added that only Krishnaji himself had taught him to lie. How is that asked Krishnaji.
The woodcutter replied that if I said no, in your next dip you would have brought Karishma Kapoor and again if I said no he would have brought his wife. And in the end he would have offered all three of them to him for being an honest man. He said, Prabhu it is already so difficult to manage one wife how you think I was going to be able to take care of three of them.
