有一個樵夫正在河邊砍樹，突然，就在他將斧子抽離樹幹的一剎那，斧子從他的手中滑落，掉進了水里。他站在水邊悲嘆那丟失了的斧子時，墨丘利出現了，問他為什麽如此傷心。問清緣由之後，出於對樵夫的同情，墨丘利跳進河裡，舉起一把金燦燦的斧子問他，這是不是他丟失了的那一把。樵夫說這不是他丟的。於是，墨丘利又跳進河中，撈起一把銀光閃閃的斧子，問他是不是這一把。“不是，這也不是我丟的。”樵夫回答道。墨丘利再一次跳進河裡，撈起那把樵夫真正丟失了的斧子。看到失而復得的斧子，樵夫喜出望外，對墨丘利感激萬分。然而，墨丘利也很讚賞樵夫的忠厚老實，就將另外兩把斧子作為禮物送給了他。樵夫把自己的經歷講給同伴聽，其中一個人十分羨慕他的好運氣，決定也去碰一碰運氣。於是，他也來到河畔砍樹，並故意將自己的斧子丟入河中。墨丘利像以前一樣出現了，知道樵夫的斧子落入水中之後，他像上次一樣跳進河裡撈起一把金斧子。還沒等到墨丘利開口問他，這個人就大喊道：“是我的，這就是我的斧子。”並且迫切地伸手想去拿那把斧子，但墨丘利對他的不誠實很氣憤，不僅拒絕把金斧子送給他，而且還拒絕幫他尋找掉入水中的那把斧子。

【墨丘利和樵夫的寓意】

　　墨丘利和樵夫這篇寓言故事告訴我們：做人一定要誠實，要腳踏實地，不能貪心，也不能天天想著怎樣才能不勞而獲。

                                                   MERCURY AND THE WOODMAN

　　A Woodman was felling a tree on the bank of a river, when his axe, glancing off the trunk, flew out of his hands and fell into the water. As he stood by the water’s edge lamenting his loss, Mercury appeared and asked him the reason for his grief; and on learning what had happened, out of pity for his distress he dived into the river and, bringing up a golden axe, asked him if that was the one he had lost. The Woodman replied that it was not, and Mercury then dived a second time, and, bringing up a silver axe, asked if that was his. “No, that is not mine either,” said the Woodman. Once more Mercury dived into the river and brought up the missing axe. The Woodman was overjoyed at recovering his property and thanked his benefactor warmly, and the latter was so pleased with his honesty that he made him a present of the other two axes. When the Woodman told the story to his companions, one of these was filled with envy of his good fortune and determined to try his luck for himself. So he went and began to fell a tree at the edge of the river, and presently contrived to let his axe drop into the water. Mercury appeared as before, and, on learning that his axe had fallen in, he dived and brought up a golden axe, as he had done on the previous occasion. Without waiting to be asked whether it was his or not the fellow cried, “That’s mine, that’s mine,” and stretched out his hand eagerly for the prize: but Mercury was so disgusted at his dishonesty that he not only declined to give him the golden axe, but also refused to recover for him the one he had let fall into the stream.