Old Woodcutter, Lazy Woodcutter.

On villages with many people, they always need wood. So there is people who live only to get wood from the forest, and those are woodcutters.

Then in a village next to a Forest Spirit’s forest, there was an old woodcutter.

He would go to the forest every day by morning, and walk, walk, walk, until he found a dead tree.

If a tree was young and full of leaves, he would leave it be.

But if a tree was dead or had no leaves, he would cut it.

The old woodcutter had to work a lot to get his pay, for sometimes there wouldn’t be dead trees close to him.

So every day he walked and walked and walked inside the forest.

Not even a single time had he been bitten by a snake or attacked by a boar.

He would walk, walk, walk, and then leave the forest at evening.

One day, however, as the old man prepared to go inside the forest, he saw a young lazy man cutting a tree near the border.

It was a young tree, full of life, so the old Woodcutter went to the young man and said:

“Young man, stop cutting these trees! They are young and full of life! If you cut them, you will hurt the forest spirit!”

The young man then said, yawning all the way:

“What if I hurt the forest spirit? I’m tired and want to go back to bed! Besides, it’s dangerous to go inside the forest. What if I’m bitten by a snake? What if my legs are crushed by a boar?”

“If you ask for the forest spirit for permission before entering, and cut only the dead trees, then it won’t let you get bitten or crushed or killed!” – Replied the Old Woodcutter.

“That be too much work!” – Said the young man, laying at the feet of the tree he had just cut. – “While you walk all day to get a tree, here, look, I already got it. I only have to wait for it to dry, and this I can do while I sleep. Besides, from time to time, don’t you also cut young trees?”

The old woodcutter shook his head and went into the forest. Indeed, when he couldn’t find any dead trees in the forest after walking all day long, he didn’t had any other option.

Before entering, however, he said:

“Forest spirit, I come looking for wood. My people need it to live. Please lead me to a place where I can find a dead tree.”

And so he went and returned, and then listened to someone calling him:

“Old Woodcutter! Old Woodcutter! Help me!”

It was the Lazy Woodcutter from that morning, limping around.

“Lazy Woodcutter, what happened to you?” – Said the Old Woodcutter.

“I was sleeping under the tree I just cut, and then a snake got into my boot! As soon as I put it, what pain, it bit my feet!”

“I told you, Lazy Woodcutter, don’t hurt the forest spirit, and always ask for permission!”

The next day, the Old Woodcutter returned to the forest, and again he saw the Lazy Woodcutter cutting a young tree.

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“Lazy woodcutter, stop cutting this tree! Don’t you know you’re hurting the forest spirit!” – He said again.

“Shut up, shut up, I want to sleep!” – Said the Lazy Woodcutter.

But this time, as the Lazy Woodcutter couldn’t finish cutting his tree.

As soon as the tree feel, a boar rushed forth from the bushes and smashed its legs.

“Old Woodcutter, Old Woodcutter, help me please!” – Said the lazy woodcutter.

“Wish I could, Lazy Woodcutter! I helped you already the other day, and still you keep hurting the forest spirit. This time you will have to go back home alone!” – Replied the Old Woodcutter, getting into the forest.

Then came winter, and all woodcutters assembled near the borders of the forest.

“It’s too cold, it’s too tiring, it’s too dangerous, it’s even snowing! Old Woodcutter, why are we here?” – The Lazy Woodcutter said.

“Because our village needs new houses, Lazy Woodcutter. So we need to cut many trees for building.”

The Lazy Woodcutter got scared when he saw the Old Woodcutter holding his axe against a young tree in the border of the forest.

“Old Woodcutter! Old Woodcutter! What do you think you’re doing? If you cut this tree, then a snake will bite you!” – Said the Lazy Woodcutter, worried.

But the Old Woodcutter looked at him and replied:

“You’re young, so you’re a fool. Look at the tree’s branches. Do you see any leaves?”

“No, I don’t.” – Answered the Lazy Woodcutter.

“Then learn from me. When a tree has no leaves, it’s allowed for us to cut it!” – Said the Woodcutter.

“But Old Woodcutter, won’t we harm the forest spirit?” – Said, still scared, the Lazy Woodcutter.

“Listen well” – Said the Old Woodcutter – “This is what you have to say”.

And so he said this:

“Forest Spirit, it’s winter, and my people need space. Our village is too small, and this tree has no leaves. All things in the world need something for its people to live. I shall cut this tree, and I shall kill it. Not because I’m lazy, but because I need it.”

And as soon as the Old Woodcutter finished his plea to the Forest Spirit, a brown snake with a pyramid head fell from the branches of the tree, slithering and contorting and trying to get away.

The Lazy Woodcutter then said:

“Old Woodcutter, kill that snake! It’s meat in winter, it will be great!”

Then the Old Woodcutter replied:

“Fool you are! Didn’t you listen to what I just said? We have enough meat, there is no point in killing it!”

“The last time he said something like this to me, my legs got broken” – Thought the Lazy Woodcutter – “So it’s better if I listen”.

And as the snake slithered away, a boar stomped the snake and started munching the head making the Lazy Woodcutter understand.

“Had I killed that snake, and the boar would have killed me too!”.