One day, while a woodcutter was cutting a branch off a tree above a river, his axe fell into the river. When he cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "Why are you crying?" The woodcutter replied that his axe had fallen into the water.

The Lord went down into the water and reappeared with a golden axe. "Is this your axe?" the Lord asked. The woodcutter replied, "No."

The Lord again went down and came up with a silver axe. "Is this your axe?" Again, the woodcutter replied, "No."

The Lord went down again and came up with an iron axe. "Is this your axe?" The woodcutter replied, "Yes."

The Lord was pleased with the man's honesty, gave him all three axes to keep, and the woodcutter went home happily.

One day, while the woodcutter was walking with his wife along the riverbank, his wife fell into the river. When he cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked him, "Why are you crying?"

"Oh, Lord, my wife has fallen into the water!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with Jennifer Lopez. "Is this your wife?" the Lord asked. "Yes," cried the woodcutter.

The Lord was furious. "You cheat! That is an untruth!"

The woodcutter replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I said 'No' to Jennifer Lopez, You will come up with Catherine Zeta-Jones. Then, if I also say 'No' to her, You will come up with my wife, and I will say 'Yes,' and then all three would be given to me. But Lord, I am a poor man, and I will not be able to take care of all three wives, so that's why I said 'Yes' the first time."

The moral of the story is that whenever a man lies, it is for an "Honorable and Useful" reason.