[Brinty]

A competitive axeman was honing his skills down by the river when in one miss-placed swing, his axe twisted out of his grasp and fell into the river. As the axe swiftly sank to the riverbed, he dropped to his knees and with head in hands, prayed to God for assistance because he couldn't swim.

In an instant an angel appeared before him and asked how he could be of assistance. The axeman told how his axe had fallen into the river but he was unable to swim so he couldn't retrieve it himself. The angel promptly dived in and reappeared with a solid gold axe.
"Is this your axe?" the angel asked.
"No," replied the axeman. So the angel dived in again. This time he presented the axeman with a sold silver axe."
"No, that's not mine either," said the axeman. Diving in for a third time, the angel came up with the axeman's iron axe.
"Ah yes, that's mine," cried the axeman with glee.
"Well," said the angel, "because you have been so honest, you can keep all three axes.

Some months later the axeman and his wife were down by the river when his wife slipped and fell into the water.
On his knees he prayed to God for help and was gratified when the angel appeared in an instant.
"Please help me, my wife is in the river and neither of us can swim." The angel instantly dives in and resurfaces with Miss World.
"Is this your wife?"
The axeman hesitates for a split second then eagerly says, "Yes it is."
The angel was furious, "You lied! - now you will be punished."

The axeman quickly cried, "please forgive me, it was a misunderstanding. If I had told the truth and said 'no', you would have then brought me Miss America. If I had told the truth again and said 'no', then finally you would have come up with my wife and I would have said 'yes'. Then you would have given all three women to me. I am not a wealthy man, so I would not be able to look after all three as a man should. So you see, that's why I had to say 'yes'."