The Golden Axe and the Silver Axe

4 Characters:

• Narrator
• Woodcutter
• Hermes (River's Spirit)
• Neighbor

Narrator: Once upon a time, there was a woodcutter who accidentally dropped his axe into the river. He lost his tool for making a living and cried loudly.

Woodcutter: (Crying) Oh no, my axe! How will I work now?

Narrator: The river's spirit, Hermes, felt sorry for the woodcutter and appeared before him.

Hermes: Don't cry. I'll help you. Did you lose this golden axe?

Woodcutter: (Shaking head) No, that's not mine.

Narrator: Hermes then took out a silver axe and asked the same question.

Hermes: What about this silver axe?

Woodcutter: (Honest) No, that's not mine either.

Narrator: Hermes reached into the river once more and presented the woodcutter's own axe.

Hermes: And this one?

Woodcutter: (Recognizing) Yes, that's my axe! Thank you, Hermes.

Narrator: Hermes praised the woodcutter's honesty and rewarded him with all three axes.

Hermes: You're an honest man. You deserve these axes.

Narrator: The woodcutter's neighbor heard this story and became envious.

Neighbor: (Thinking) I want three axes too!

Narrator: The neighbor threw his own axe into the river and pretended to cry.

Neighbor: (Pretending) Oh no, my axe is lost!

Narrator: When Hermes appeared and asked if he had lost a golden axe, the neighbor answered eagerly.

Hermes: Did you lose this golden axe?

Neighbor: (Excited) Yes, yes! That's mine!

Narrator: However, after that, Hermes never appeared again from the river.

Neighbor: (Confused) Where's my reward?

Narrator: The greedy neighbor didn't even get his own axe back.

Neighbor: (Regretful) I should have been honest like the woodcutter.

Narrator: And so, the woodcutter's honesty was rewarded, while the neighbor's greed led to his loss.

Narrator: The end.

《金斧與銀斧》

4個角色： • 敘述者 • 伐木工 • 荷莉墨斯（河之精靈） • 鄰居

敘述者：很久很久以前，有一位伐木工不小心將他的斧頭掉進了河裡。他失去了謀生的工具，大聲哭喊起來。

伐木工：（哭泣）哦不，我的斧頭！現在我該怎麼工作呢？

敘述者：河流的精靈荷莉墨斯為伐木工感到遺憾，出現在他面前。

荷莉墨斯：別哭。我會幫助你的。你是不是失去了這把金色的斧頭？

伐木工：（搖頭）不，那不是我的。

敘述者：然後荷莉墨斯拿出一把銀色的斧頭，問了同樣的問題。

荷莉墨斯：那這把銀色的斧頭呢？

伐木工：（坦白）也不是我的。

敘述者：荷莉墨斯再次伸手進河裡，拿出了伐木工自己的斧頭。

荷莉墨斯：那這把呢？

伐木工：（認出來）是的，那是我的斧頭！謝謝你，荷莉墨斯。

敘述者：荷莉墨斯讚揚了伐木工的誠實，並以三把斧頭獎勵了他。

荷莉墨斯：你是一個誠實的人。這些斧頭應該歸你。

敘述者：伐木工的鄰居聽了這個故事，開始感到羨慕。

鄰居：（思考）我也想要三把斧頭！

敘述者：鄰居將自己的斧頭扔進了河裡，並假裝哭泣。

鄰居：（假裝）哦不，我的斧頭不見了！

敘述者：當荷莉墨斯出現並問他是否失去了一把金色的斧頭時，鄰居迫不及待地回答。

荷莉墨斯：你是不是失去了這把金色的斧頭？

鄰居：（興奮）是的，是的！那是我的！

敘述者：然而，此後，荷莉墨斯再也沒有從河裡出現過。

鄰居：（困惑）我的獎勵在哪裡？

敘述者：貪婪的鄰居甚至連自己的斧頭都沒有拿回來。

鄰居：（後悔）我應該像伐木工一樣誠實。

敘述者：於是，伐木工的誠實得到了回報，而鄰居的貪婪導致了他的損失。

敘述者：故事結束。

Vocabulary

1. Woodcutter (伐木工)
2. • Definition: A person whose occupation involves cutting or chopping wood.
   • Word Root: "Wood" + "Cutter"
   • Related Words: Logger (伐木工人), Lumberjack (伐木工), Forester (林務人員)
   • Collocations: Skilled woodcutter (熟練的伐木工), Hardworking woodcutter (勤奮的伐木工)
   • Example Sentence: The woodcutter skillfully felled the trees in the forest. (伐木工巧妙地砍倒了森林裡的樹木。)
2. Accidentally (意外地)
3. • Definition: Happening by chance or unintentionally.
   • Related Words: Unintentionally (非故意地), By chance (偶然地), Inadvertently (不注意地)
   • Collocations: Accidentally drop (意外掉落), Accidentally bump into (意外撞見)
   • Example Sentence: She accidentally spilled coffee on her laptop. (她不小心把咖啡灑在了筆記本電腦上。)
3. Recognize (認識)
4. • Definition: To identify or know someone or something from previous encounters or knowledge.
   • Related Words: Identify (識別), Acknowledge (承認), Realize (察覺)
   • Collocations: Easily recognize (容易認出), Instantly recognize (立刻認出)
   • Example Sentence: He could recognize her voice even in a crowded room. (即使在擁擠的房間裡，他也能認出她的聲音。)
4. Deserve (應得)
5. • Definition: To be worthy of or entitled to something due to one's actions or qualities.
   • Related Words: Earn (賺取), Merit (值得), Qualify for (有資格獲得)
   • Collocations: Truly deserve (真正應得), Richly deserve (豐富應得)
   • Example Sentence: She worked hard and deserved the promotion she received. (她努力工作，應得了她得到的升遷。)
5. Envious (羨慕的)
6. • Definition: Feeling jealousy or a strong desire for something possessed by another person.
   • Word Root: Envy + ous
   • Related Words: Jealous (嫉妒的), Covetous (貪心的), Green-eyed (眼紅的)
   • Collocations: Deeply envious (深感羨慕), Painfully envious (痛苦羨慕)
   • Example Sentence: She couldn't help but feel envious of her friend's success. (她情不自禁地對朋友的成功感到羨慕。)
6. Pretend (假裝)
7. • Definition: To act or behave in a way that is not genuine or true.
   • Related Words: Feign (偽裝), Simulate (模擬), Act (假扮)
   • Collocations: Pretend innocence (假裝無辜), Pretend ignorance (假裝不知)
   • Example Sentence: He would often pretend to be busy when he didn't want to talk to anyone. (當他不想和任何人交談時，他經常假裝忙碌。)
7. Regretful (後悔的)
8. • Definition: Feeling or expressing a sense of sorrow or disappointment about something that has happened.
   • Word Root: Regret + ful
   • Related Words: Remorseful (內疚的), Sorry (抱歉的), Penitent (悔過的)
   • Collocations: Deeply regretful (深感後悔), Sincerely regretful (真誠後悔)
   • Example Sentence: She was regretful that she hadn't taken the opportunity when it was presented to her. (她後悔沒有在機會出現時抓住它。)