In a lush, green forest lived a woodcutter named Somu. While he was a hard worker, he had a deep flaw: he was never satisfied with what he had. One sunny morning, Somu headed into the woods with his trusty axe. As he prepared to chop a large tree, the wooden handle of his axe suddenly snapped with a loud 'crack!'
"Oh no!" Somu cried out in frustration. "How can I work like this? Without a handle, this axe is useless!"
To his utter amazement, the large tree he was standing near spoke in a gentle voice, "Why are you so upset, friend? If your axe handle is broken, do not worry. Take this strong branch from my side. It will make a perfect new handle for you."
Somu was startled but grateful. He carefully took a sturdy branch, carried it home, and spent the evening carving it into a smooth, strong handle. When he was done, his axe felt even more powerful than before.
The next day, Somu returned to the forest with a wide grin. He approached the kind tree. "Thank you so much for your help!" he said. But as he looked at the tree, a dark thought entered his mind. He thought, 'If this tree gave me such a good branch, imagine how much wood I could get from its massive trunk!'
Greed took over. Somu began chopping down tree after tree. The forest grew silent and empty. The kind tree watched him with sadness and asked, "Somu, did my kindness only serve to make your destruction easier?"
Somu ignored the warning. Driven by his hunger for more, he swung his new axe at the very tree that had helped him. As the great tree crashed to the ground, the impact was so strong that Somu's new handle snapped once again. He stood alone in a clearing, having destroyed his helper and lost his only tool.
Moral
Helping someone who is driven by greed can sometimes lead to your own downfall.
