The Honest Woodcutter
| The Honest Woodcutter | |
|---|---|
Grandville's illustration to La Fontaine's fable | |
| Folk tale | |
| Name | The Honest Woodcutter |
| Also known as | Mercury and the Woodman; The Golden Axe |
| Aarne–Thompson grouping | ATU 729 (The Axe falls into the Stream) |
| Region | Greece; Worldwide |
The Honest Woodcutter, also known as Mercury and the Woodman and The Golden Axe, is one of Aesop's Fables, numbered 173 in the Perry Index. It serves as a cautionary tale on the need for cultivating honesty, even at the price of self-interest. It is also classified as Aarne-Thompson 729: The Axe falls into the Stream.