一位農夫在河邊砍柴，不小心把斧頭掉入了河中。丟掉維生工具的農夫坐在岸邊失聲痛哭。這時，赫耳墨斯出現了，聽了農夫的講述後非常同情他，表示願意幫助他找回丟失的斧頭。於是，赫耳墨斯一頭紮進河中，一會兒之後，取出了一把金斧頭，問農夫是不是他的，農夫搖搖頭。赫耳墨斯又潛入了水中，這次帶上來的是一把銀斧頭，農夫依舊搖頭說，不是他丟掉的那把。赫耳墨斯隻好第三次下水，這次拿上來一把鏽跡斑斑的鐵斧頭。農夫欣喜若狂，說這正是他丟掉的那把。為了獎勵農夫的誠實，赫耳墨斯把剩下兩把斧頭也送給了他。
回到家後，農夫把他的經曆一五一十地告訴了他的朋友。其中有一個人非常羨慕農夫的好運氣，就想照樣試一試。於是他也拿了一把斧頭在河邊砍柴，故意將斧頭丟入河中，然後裝出很傷心的樣子放聲大哭。
沒過多久，赫耳墨斯果然出現了。聽了他的不幸經曆後，赫耳墨斯馬上就潛到水中為他尋找斧頭。一會兒之後，赫耳墨斯拿著一把金斧頭上來了。那人一看就使勁點頭，興奮地大叫這正是他的斧頭。赫耳墨斯對他的貪婪非常失望，不僅沒有把金斧頭送給他，還把他原先的那把也沒收了。
誠實就是最有效的策略。
A Workman，felling wood by the side of a river，let his axe drop-by ato a deep pool. Being thus deprived of the means of his livelihood，he sat down on the bank aed his hard fate. Mercury appeared ahe cause of his tears. After he told him his misfortune，Merged iream，and，bringing up a golden axe，i were the o. On his saying that it was not his，Mercury disappeared beer a see，returh a silver axe in his hand，and agaihe Workman if it were his. When the Workman said it was not，he dived into the pool for the third time and brought up the axe that had been lost. The Workma and expressed his joy at its reercury，pleased with his hohe golden and silver axes in addition to his own.
The Workman，oo his house，related to his panions all that had happehem at oo try ahe same good fortune for himself. He ran to the river and threurpose i the same plad sat dowo weep. Mercury appeared to him just as he hoped he would；and havihe cause ed iream and brought up a golden axe，inquiri it. The Workma greedily，aruly it was the very same axe that he had lost. Mercury，displeased at his k only took away the golde refused to re the axe he had thrown into the pool.
Truth is the better strategy.