Lieh Tzu
|
China

The Stolen Ax

A woodcutter wrongly accuses his neighbor's son of stealing his ax, only to find it himself and realize his mistake.
Perception
Understanding
Trust
Featured in Fable Book
The Stolen Ax
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, a woodcutter went out early one morning to gather firewood. As he reached for his trusty ax, he was shocked to find it missing. He searched high and low, but the ax was nowhere to be found. Puzzled and frustrated, the woodcutter looked around and spotted his neighbor’s son standing near the woodshed.

“That boy must have taken my ax!” thought the woodcutter. He noticed how the boy shifted nervously from foot to foot, his hands stuffed in his pockets, and how his eyes darted around. “He looks so guilty,” the woodcutter muttered. “I know he’s the one who stole it.”

For days, the woodcutter remained convinced that the boy had taken his ax. He watched the boy whenever he passed by, always seeing signs of guilt in his every move.

Then, one afternoon, while moving some firewood, the woodcutter found his ax lying beneath the pile. “Oh! There it is,” he exclaimed, feeling relieved. “I had forgotten I left it here myself!”

The next time the woodcutter saw his neighbor’s son, he looked carefully at the boy again. But this time, he saw nothing unusual. The boy walked past with his hands in his pockets, just like before, but now, the woodcutter didn’t see any guilt in his expression or his movements.

The woodcutter realized how foolish he had been. His own suspicions had clouded his view, making the boy seem guilty when he had done nothing wrong.

Once upon a time, a woodcutter went out early one morning to gather firewood. As he reached for his trusty ax, he was shocked to find it missing. He searched high and low, but the ax was nowhere to be found. Puzzled and frustrated, the woodcutter looked around and spotted his neighbor’s son standing near the woodshed.

“That boy must have taken my ax!” thought the woodcutter. He noticed how the boy shifted nervously from foot to foot, his hands stuffed in his pockets, and how his eyes darted around. “He looks so guilty,” the woodcutter muttered. “I know he’s the one who stole it.”

For days, the woodcutter remained convinced that the boy had taken his ax. He watched the boy whenever he passed by, always seeing signs of guilt in his every move.

Then, one afternoon, while moving some firewood, the woodcutter found his ax lying beneath the pile. “Oh! There it is,” he exclaimed, feeling relieved. “I had forgotten I left it here myself!”

The next time the woodcutter saw his neighbor’s son, he looked carefully at the boy again. But this time, he saw nothing unusual. The boy walked past with his hands in his pockets, just like before, but now, the woodcutter didn’t see any guilt in his expression or his movements.

The woodcutter realized how foolish he had been. His own suspicions had clouded his view, making the boy seem guilty when he had done nothing wrong.

A man looks for his ax. He cannot find it. He feels sad and mad.

He sees a boy near his house. The boy looks nervous. The man thinks, "The boy took my ax."

Every day, the man watches the boy. He thinks the boy looks guilty. The man is sure the boy took the ax.

One day, the man moves some wood. He finds his ax under the wood! He feels happy and a little silly.

The next time he sees the boy, he looks again. Now, the boy does not look guilty. The man knows the boy did nothing wrong.

He learns not to judge too quickly.

Once upon a time, a woodcutter went out early one morning to gather firewood. As he reached for his trusty ax, he was shocked to find it missing. He searched high and low, but the ax was nowhere to be found. Puzzled and frustrated, the woodcutter looked around and spotted his neighbor’s son standing near the woodshed.

“That boy must have taken my ax!” thought the woodcutter. He noticed how the boy shifted nervously from foot to foot, his hands stuffed in his pockets, and how his eyes darted around. “He looks so guilty,” the woodcutter muttered. “I know he’s the one who stole it.”

For days, the woodcutter remained convinced that the boy had taken his ax. He watched the boy whenever he passed by, always seeing signs of guilt in his every move.

Then, one afternoon, while moving some firewood, the woodcutter found his ax lying beneath the pile. “Oh! There it is,” he exclaimed, feeling relieved. “I had forgotten I left it here myself!”

The next time the woodcutter saw his neighbor’s son, he looked carefully at the boy again. But this time, he saw nothing unusual. The boy walked past with his hands in his pockets, just like before, but now, the woodcutter didn’t see any guilt in his expression or his movements.

The woodcutter realized how foolish he had been. His own suspicions had clouded his view, making the boy seem guilty when he had done nothing wrong.

Once upon a time, early one morning, a woodcutter got up and stretched like he was getting ready for a big adventure, but really, it was just another day of chopping wood. “Today’s the day I chop the best wood ever!” he declared to, well, no one in particular. He reached for his trusty ax—his wood-chopping sidekick—but wait... it wasn’t there! The woodcutter blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes as if the ax would magically appear. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

He searched around like he was playing a game of hide-and-seek with an ax. “Where could it be?” he muttered, scratching his head. Then he spotted the neighbor’s son hanging around near the woodshed, looking as suspicious as a squirrel in a candy store.

“That boy! He’s got my ax! I knew it!” the woodcutter thought. He folded his arms, squinting at the boy, who was fidgeting and shuffling like he had ants in his pants. “Look at him, all shifty and nervous! Hands in his pockets like he's hiding something. He’s definitely guilty.”

For days, the woodcutter couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every time the boy walked by, the woodcutter stared him down like a hawk eyeing a mouse. The boy, meanwhile, just kept doing normal boy stuff—kicking rocks, whistling badly, and looking... guilty. “Ha! Guilty as charged!” the woodcutter whispered to himself with a nod, feeling oh-so-smart.

But then, one afternoon, while moving a big pile of firewood, he heard a loud *clunk*. He lifted a log and there it was—his ax! It had been under the woodpile the whole time.

“Well, well, well, would you look at that!” the woodcutter said, picking up the ax like it was a long-lost friend. “Guess it wasn’t the boy after all. I just… forgot. Classic me.”

The next time the woodcutter saw the boy, he took a good look. The boy was still shuffling around, hands in pockets, whistling his off-key tune, but this time, the woodcutter didn’t see guilt. He just saw a kid being, well, a kid.

“Maybe I jumped to conclusions,” the woodcutter thought with a sheepish grin. “And maybe… just maybe, I shouldn’t assume people are stealing my stuff every time I misplace it. Now, if I could just remember where I left my hat…”

And with that, the woodcutter chuckled to himself and went back to chopping wood, this time keeping a better eye on his ax. After all, no one wants to lose their trusty sidekick twice!

A woodcutter rose with the light of the day,
He reached for his ax, but it had gone away.
He searched through the shed and all ‘round the trees,
But his ax was missing, lost in the breeze.

His eyes fell upon a young boy nearby,
Who shuffled his feet and didn’t meet his eye.
The woodcutter thought, “That boy took my tool!”
The way that he fidgets, he’s playing me for a fool."

For days he watched the boy passing by,
Certain he'd stolen it, sure he would lie.
Each glance made him think, “Yes, he’s the one,
He must be guilty for what he has done.”

But one sunny day, as wood filled his store,
He found his lost ax, right under the floor.
He laughed at himself, how could he forget?
It wasn’t the boy—no crime had been met.

The next time the boy walked through the lane,
The woodcutter looked, but it wasn’t the same.
No guilt in his face, no secret to hide,
Just a boy on a walk with nothing to bide.

The woodcutter learned, as his thoughts grew bright,
That judgment too quickly can blur your sight.
For sometimes the guilt that you think you can see,
Is just your own shadow, not meant to be.

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Word Finder

  1. Woodcutter

    A person who cuts wood for a living.

  2. Gather

    To collect or bring together things in one place.

  3. Trusty

    Something reliable or dependable that you can trust.

  4. Puzzled

    Feeling confused because something doesn’t make sense.

  5. Frustrated

    Feeling upset because you can’t solve a problem.

  6. Shifted

    To move or change position slightly from one place.

  7. Darted

    To move or look quickly in a specific direction.

  8. Convinced

    Completely sure that something is true or correct.

  9. Beneath

    Under something or at a lower position.

  10. Suspicions

    Doubts or beliefs that someone might be doing wrong.

Understanding Questions

  1. What did the woodcutter notice was missing at the start of the story?
  2. Why did the woodcutter think the boy had stolen his ax?
  3. Where did the woodcutter eventually find his missing ax?
  4. How did the woodcutter's feelings about the boy change after he found the ax?
  5. What did the woodcutter realize at the end of the story?
Word Finder
  1. Axe

    Tool with a sharp blade for cutting wood.

  2. Nervous

    Feeling worried or scared about something.

  3. Guilty

    Feeling like you did something wrong.

  4. Sure

    Feeling confident that something is true.

  5. Took

    Got or removed something from someone else.

  6. Watched

    Looked at something or someone closely.

  7. Moved

    Made something go from one place to another.

  8. Finds

    Discovers something that was lost before.

  9. Judge

    Decide something quickly without knowing everything.

  10. Wrong

    Not correct, not the right thing to do.

  1. Woodcutter

    A person who cuts wood for a living.

  2. Gather

    To collect or bring together things in one place.

  3. Trusty

    Something reliable or dependable that you can trust.

  4. Puzzled

    Feeling confused because something doesn’t make sense.

  5. Frustrated

    Feeling upset because you can’t solve a problem.

  6. Shifted

    To move or change position slightly from one place.

  7. Darted

    To move or look quickly in a specific direction.

  8. Convinced

    Completely sure that something is true or correct.

  9. Beneath

    Under something or at a lower position.

  10. Suspicions

    Doubts or beliefs that someone might be doing wrong.

Understanding Questions
  1. What does the man lose?

    1. His hat
    2. His ax
    3. His keys
    4. His book
  2. How does the man feel when he can't find his ax?

    1. Happy
    2. Excited
    3. Sad and mad
    4. Confused
  3. Who does the man think took his ax?

    1. A dog
    2. A friend
    3. The boy
    4. His neighbor
  4. Where does the man find his ax?

    1. In his house
    2. Under some wood
    3. In the boy's bag
    4. On the street
  5. What lesson does the man learn?

    1. Always ask for help
    2. Be kind to others
    3. Don't judge too quickly
    4. Share with others
  1. What did the woodcutter notice was missing at the start of the story?
  2. Why did the woodcutter think the boy had stolen his ax?
  3. Where did the woodcutter eventually find his missing ax?
  4. How did the woodcutter's feelings about the boy change after he found the ax?
  5. What did the woodcutter realize at the end of the story?
  1. Why did the woodcutter start to believe that the neighbor's son had taken his ax, and what did he notice about the boy's behavior?
  2. How did the woodcutter’s opinion of the boy change after he found his ax, and why did this happen?
  3. Where did the woodcutter finally find his missing ax, and how did that discovery affect his previous thoughts about the boy?
  4. How did the woodcutter’s suspicions make him interpret the boy’s actions during the days before he found the ax?
  5. What lesson does the woodcutter learn at the end of the story about jumping to conclusions?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why did the woodcutter think the boy had stolen his ax?
  2. How did the woodcutter’s suspicions affect the way he saw the boy's behavior?
  3. Have you ever made a wrong assumption about someone? How did you feel afterward?
  4. Why is it important to find out the truth before accusing someone, like the woodcutter should have done?
  5. What does this story teach us about judging others too quickly?
Fable Quotes
"Our eyes see what our mind expects."
"Understanding clears the fog of misjudgment."
"When trust is absent, even innocence looks like guilt."
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