Fortune and the Wood-Cutter
by Andrew Lang · from The Brown Fairy Book
Adapted Version
A wood-cutter worked hard every day. He was poor. He had a wife and children. He had an axe and two mules. He worked and worked. But he stayed poor.
One day, he felt very sad. "I will not work," he said. "I will wait in bed. Maybe Fortune will come to me."
The next morning, he did not get up. His wife came in. "Get up!" she said. "We have no food." "No," he said. "I will wait for Fortune."
A neighbor came to the door. "Can I borrow your mules?" he asked. The wood-cutter was in bed. "Yes," he said. "Take them."
The neighbor took the mules. He walked far into the forest. There, he found a treasure of gold. It was shiny and bright. He put the gold in sacks. He put the heavy sacks on the mules.
Then he saw some men. They were coming his way. He was scared. He ran away fast. The mules stood alone. They turned and walked home.
The wife saw the mules. They carried heavy sacks. "Look!" she called to her husband. "Get up! The mules are back!"
He did not get up. The wife took a knife. She cut the sacks open. Gold coins fell out! Lots and lots of gold! They sparkled on the ground.
"Come see!" she cried. "Fortune is here! We are rich!" The wood-cutter jumped out of bed. He ran to the gold.
"You see," he said. "I was right to wait for Fortune!" He smiled a big smile. They were happy and rich. Good things come when we least expect them.
Original Story
Fortune and the Wood-Cutter
Several hundreds of years ago there lived in a forest a wood-cutter and
his wife and children. He was very poor, having only his axe to depend
upon, and two mules to carry the wood he cut to the neighbouring town;
but he worked hard, and was always out of bed by five o’clock, summer
and winter.
This went on for twenty years, and though his sons were now grown up,
and went with their father to the forest, everything seemed to go
against them, and they remained as poor as ever. In the end the
wood-cutter lost heart, and said to himself:
“What is the good of working like this if I never am a penny the richer
at the end? I shall go to the forest no more! And perhaps, if I take to
my bed, and do not run after Fortune, one day she may come to me.”
So the next morning he did not get up, and when six o’clock struck, his
wife, who had been cleaning the house, went to see what was the matter.
“Are you ill?” she asked wonderingly, surprised at not finding him
dressed. “The cock has crowed ever so often. It is high time for you to
get up.”
“Why should I get up?” asked the man, without moving.
“Why? to go to the forest, of course.”
“Yes; and when I have toiled all day I hardly earn enough to give us
one meal.”
“But what can we do, my poor husband?” said she. “It is just a trick of
Fortune’s, who would never smile upon us.”
“Well, I have had my fill of Fortune’s tricks,” cried he. “If she wants
me she can find me here. But I have done with the wood for ever.”
“My dear husband, grief has driven you mad! Do you think Fortune will
come to anybody who does not go after her? Dress yourself, and saddle
the mules, and begin your work. Do you know that there is not a morsel
of bread in the house?”
“I don’t care if there isn’t, and I am not going to the forest. It is
no use your talking; nothing will make me change my mind.”
The distracted wife begged and implored in vain; her husband persisted
in staying in bed, and at last, in despair, she left him and went back
to her work.
An hour or two later a man from the nearest village knocked at her
door, and when she opened it, he said to her: “Good-morning, mother. I
have got a job to do, and I want to know if your husband will lend me
your mules, as I see he is not using them, and can lend me a hand
himself?”
“He is upstairs; you had better ask him,” answered the woman. And the
man went up, and repeated his request.
“I am sorry, neighbour, but I have sworn not to leave my bed, and
nothing will make me break my vow.”
“Well, then, will you lend me your two mules? I will pay you something
for them.”
“Certainly, neighbour. Take them and welcome.”
So the man left the house, and leading the mules from the stable,
placed two sacks on their back, and drove them to a field where he had
found a hidden treasure. He filled the sacks with the money, though he
knew perfectly well that it belonged to the sultan, and was driving
them quietly home again, when he saw two soldiers coming along the
road. Now the man was aware that if he was caught he would be condemned
to death, so he fled back into the forest. The mules, left to
themselves, took the path that led to their master’s stable.
The wood-cutter’s wife was looking out of the window when the mules
drew up before the door, so heavily laden that they almost sank under
their burdens. She lost no time in calling her husband, who was still
lying in bed.
“Quick! quick! get up as fast as you can. Our two mules have returned
with sacks on their backs, so heavily laden with something or other
that the poor beasts can hardly stand up.”
“Wife, I have told you a dozen times already that I am not going to get
up. Why can’t you leave me in peace?”
As she found she could get no help from her husband the woman took a
large knife and cut the cords which bound the sacks on to the animals’
backs. They fell at once to the ground, and out poured a rain of gold
pieces, till the little court-yard shone like the sun.
“A treasure!” gasped the woman, as soon as she could speak from
surprise. “A treasure!” And she ran off to tell her husband.
“Get up! get up!” she cried. “You were quite right not to go to the
forest, and to await Fortune in your bed; she has come at last! Our
mules have returned home laden with all the gold in the world, and it
is now lying in the court. No one in the whole country can be as rich
as we are!”
In an instant the wood-cutter was on his feet, and running to the
court, where he paused dazzled by the glitter of the coins which lay
around him.
“You see, my dear wife, that I was right,” he said at last. “Fortune is
so capricious, you can never count on her. Run after her, and she is
sure to fly from you; stay still, and she is sure to come.”
[Traditions Populaires de l’Asie Mineure.]
Story DNA
Moral
Fortune is capricious and may come to those who wait, but often through the actions of others or unexpected circumstances, rather than direct effort.
Plot Summary
A poor wood-cutter, tired of his lifelong struggle, decides to stop working and wait for Fortune to come to him. Despite his wife's pleas, he remains in bed, even allowing a neighbor to borrow his mules. The neighbor, after finding a hidden treasure and loading it onto the mules, abandons them when soldiers approach. The mules return home, and the wood-cutter's wife discovers the sacks are filled with gold, making them rich. The wood-cutter then proudly claims his passive strategy was correct, attributing their new wealth to his decision to wait for Fortune.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The reference to 'Traditions Populaires de l’Asie Mineure' suggests an origin in folk tales from Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), collected and retold in French.
Plot Beats (12)
- A wood-cutter, his wife, and children live in poverty despite his diligent work for twenty years.
- The wood-cutter becomes disheartened, deciding to stop working and wait for Fortune to come to him.
- The next morning, he refuses to get out of bed, despite his wife's pleas and their lack of food.
- A neighbor arrives, asking to borrow the wood-cutter's mules and for his help with a job.
- The wood-cutter refuses to get out of bed but allows the neighbor to take his mules.
- The neighbor uses the mules to transport a hidden treasure he found, which belongs to the sultan.
- Upon seeing soldiers, the neighbor flees into the forest, abandoning the mules with the treasure.
- The mules return to the wood-cutter's home, heavily laden with sacks.
- The wife calls for her husband to help, but he again refuses to get out of bed.
- The wife cuts the cords on the sacks, revealing a shower of gold coins.
- The wife excitedly tells her husband that Fortune has arrived, and he immediately gets up.
- The wood-cutter is dazzled by the gold and declares that his strategy of waiting for Fortune was correct.
Characters
Wood-cutter ★ protagonist
Strong, but weary from years of hard labor
Attire: Simple tunic and trousers, leather belt, worn wooden clogs
Hardworking, initially diligent, then becomes passive and superstitious, ultimately opportunistic
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged man with a strong, weary build, wearing a rough-spun brown tunic, patched trousers, and sturdy leather boots. His hair is short and unkempt, with a thick beard. He holds a large, well-used axe resting on his shoulder, his expression determined and slightly exhausted. He stands in a forest clearing, posture slightly slumped from labor. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Wood-cutter's Wife ◆ supporting
Thin but strong from physical labor
Attire: Simple, patched dress of coarse fabric, apron, bare feet
Practical, hardworking, initially skeptical but adaptable, loyal
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged woman with a kind, weathered face and gentle brown eyes. Her hair is tied back neatly under a simple linen headscarf. She wears a practical, faded blue dress with long sleeves, covered by a clean but patched brown apron. Her posture is slightly stooped from years of labor, standing with a humble, patient demeanor. She holds a large, empty wooden bowl against her hip. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Neighbor ○ minor
Sturdy build
Attire: Simple village clothing
Resourceful, opportunistic, and dishonest
Image Prompt & Upload
A 10-year-old girl with two long, chestnut-brown braids tied with simple blue ribbons. She has a round, freckled face with a curious and friendly expression, her head tilted slightly. She wears a modest, light blue linen dress with a white apron over it, and scuffed brown leather shoes. She stands in a sun-dappled meadow, holding a small bunch of wildflowers in her hands. In the soft-focus background, a thatched-roof cottage with a smoking chimney is visible. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Mules ◆ supporting
Sturdy working animals, heavily laden
Attire: Sacks tied to their backs
Docile, obedient, follow their usual path
Image Prompt & Upload
A humanoid mule with long, expressive ears and large, gentle brown eyes. He has a sturdy build with grey-brown fur covering his body, a darker mane, and a short, tufted tail. He wears simple, durable clothing: a faded blue tunic with rolled-up sleeves, brown leather suspenders over a cream-colored shirt, and patched trousers. He is kneeling on one knee, his posture open and inviting, with one hand extended forward as if offering assistance or showing something on the ground. His expression is kind, patient, and slightly weary. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Forest
A dense forest where the woodcutter and his sons work, suggesting a place of hard labor and potential danger.
Mood: Tiring, unrewarding
The woodcutter toils for years without improving his family's fortune.
Image Prompt & Upload
Late afternoon in a dense, ancient forest, sunlight struggles through a thick canopy of twisted oak and pine, casting long, dramatic shadows across the forest floor. The air is heavy and still, with a faint mist clinging to the ground. Gnarled, moss-covered roots snake over the earth, surrounded by ferns and fallen, decaying logs. The color palette is dominated by deep greens, murky browns, and slivers of hazy gold light. A sense of oppressive quiet and latent danger pervades the scene, with no clear path forward. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
Woodcutter's House - Bedroom
Upstairs bedroom where the woodcutter stubbornly remains in bed, refusing to work.
Mood: Stubborn, lazy
The woodcutter decides to stay in bed, hoping Fortune will come to him.
Image Prompt & Upload
Early morning light filters through a dusty attic window, illuminating a small, slanted-ceiling bedroom. Muted tones of worn wood and faded patchwork quilts dominate the space. A simple wooden bed is unmade, its sheets tangled. A single work boot lies on its side near a cold, empty hearth. Through the window, a dense, sun-dappled forest is visible, contrasting with the still, stagnant air inside. A layer of dust motes floats in the pale light beams. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
Woodcutter's House - Courtyard
A small courtyard outside the house, suddenly filled with gold coins.
Mood: Surprised, dazzling, fortunate
The mules return laden with gold, transforming the family's life.
Image Prompt & Upload
Late afternoon sun slants across a small, rustic courtyard, casting long shadows from a weathered wooden house with a thatched roof. The cobblestone ground is suddenly strewn with gleaming, newly-minted gold coins, catching the warm, golden light in brilliant flashes. A simple wooden fence encloses the space, with wildflowers growing at its base. The air is still and clear, highlighting the rich contrast between the dark, earthen tones of the wood and stone and the radiant, metallic glitter of the treasure. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
Field near the forest
A field near the forest where a treasure was hidden.
Mood: Secretive, dangerous
A man finds the sultan's treasure and loads it onto the woodcutter's mules.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, rolling meadow of tall golden grass swaying gently in the late afternoon breeze, bathed in the warm, amber glow of a setting sun. The edge of a deep, ancient forest of towering oaks and pines forms a dark, mysterious border along one side, their shadows stretching long across the field. Scattered clusters of wildflowers—poppies and cornflowers—add dots of red and blue. A single, weathered stone, half-covered in moss and clover, sits slightly off-center in the foreground, hinting at something hidden beneath. The sky is a gradient of peach and lavender, with a few wispy clouds. The atmosphere is serene yet charged with quiet magic and forgotten secrets. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
