Esopo's "Mercury and the Woodman" is a fable about a woodcutter who encounters Mercury, the messenger god of Roman mythology, while working in the forest. The woodcutter is amazed by Mercury's speed and agility, but he is also skeptical of the god's claims to be able to carry anything he desires. Mercury challenges the woodcutter to a race, offering to carry any heavy load the woodcutter desires if he wins. The woodcutter agrees and chooses a large boulder as his load. Mercury easily outruns the woodcutter and delivers the boulder to its destination before the woodcutter can even finish his race. The moral of the story is that speed and agility can often overcome even the greatest challenges, and that those who are slow and heavy-footed may find themselves left behind.
By Esopo · First published 1602 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Folklore