The woodcutter, hero of the story- The woodcutter and the Axe, was travelling in a house boat with his wife along the backwaters of Alappuzha when he remembered how he got the golden and silver axes along with his iron axe from the Goddess of the lake.He, then, thought of an idea, called his wife to come out from inside the boat and pushed her into the lake.
He,then,prayed the Goddess of the lake to give back his wife as she is the only wife he possessed. The Goddess appeared before him, heard his plea and came back accompanied by Urvasi, the famous dancer of the Indra Sabha. The woodcutter refused to accept her as she was not his wife. The Goddess reappeared for a second time with Menaka, one another dancer from Indra Sabha, who was also rejected by the woodcutter. At last the Goddess brought the woodcutter's wife herself and the woodcutter agreed in the affirmative and accepted her.
The Goddess gave him back his wife and was about to disappear when the woodcutter shouted to her. "Cheat, Cheat, you have cheated me". The Goddess asked "Me?Why so?"
"When I lost my axe, in the lake, you first gave me a golden axe, then one silver axe and lastly my own iron axe. I rejected both the golden and silver axes and accepted my iron axe" told the woodcutter.
Goddess: "Yes, you being an honest man, you did like that".
Woodcutter: "Then you gave me all the axes praising my honesty. I have rejected both Urvasi and Menaka and accepted only my true wife".
Goddess: "So what?"
Woodcutter: "Appreciating my honesty, you should have given me Urvasi and Menaka along with my wife. But you have cheated me and given me only my wife"
Goddess: "No man! This is not like your axe. One man should possess only one woman as his wife and you got your wife back. You could have accepted either Urvasi or Menaka when I offered them to you. But you didn't do that."
Woodcutter: "Excuse me for my fault, Goddess! Will you give me one more chance to choose from Urvasi or Menaka so that I can once more push my wife into the lake?"
He,then,prayed the Goddess of the lake to give back his wife as she is the only wife he possessed. The Goddess appeared before him, heard his plea and came back accompanied by Urvasi, the famous dancer of the Indra Sabha. The woodcutter refused to accept her as she was not his wife. The Goddess reappeared for a second time with Menaka, one another dancer from Indra Sabha, who was also rejected by the woodcutter. At last the Goddess brought the woodcutter's wife herself and the woodcutter agreed in the affirmative and accepted her.
The Goddess gave him back his wife and was about to disappear when the woodcutter shouted to her. "Cheat, Cheat, you have cheated me". The Goddess asked "Me?Why so?"
"When I lost my axe, in the lake, you first gave me a golden axe, then one silver axe and lastly my own iron axe. I rejected both the golden and silver axes and accepted my iron axe" told the woodcutter.
Goddess: "Yes, you being an honest man, you did like that".
Woodcutter: "Then you gave me all the axes praising my honesty. I have rejected both Urvasi and Menaka and accepted only my true wife".
Goddess: "So what?"
Woodcutter: "Appreciating my honesty, you should have given me Urvasi and Menaka along with my wife. But you have cheated me and given me only my wife"
Goddess: "No man! This is not like your axe. One man should possess only one woman as his wife and you got your wife back. You could have accepted either Urvasi or Menaka when I offered them to you. But you didn't do that."
Woodcutter: "Excuse me for my fault, Goddess! Will you give me one more chance to choose from Urvasi or Menaka so that I can once more push my wife into the lake?"
