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Fable of the Month

The Milkmaid and Her Pail

A girl has a pail of milk. She carries the milk to the market. The pail is on her head.

She walks and thinks, "I will sell this milk. I will get money. I will buy eggs. The eggs will be chicks. The chicks will be chickens. The chickens will give more eggs. I will have many chickens."

She thinks, "I will sell the chickens. I will buy a dress. The dress will be beautiful. I will buy shoes. The shoes will be shiny. The boys will look at me. Maybe, the mayor's son will marry me."

She moves her head. The pail falls. The milk spills. The girl looks at the milk. She is sad.

She thinks, "I lose the milk. I lose my dreams. I must be careful."

Once upon a time, there was a young girl with a pail of milk on her head. She was going to the market and thought about what she would do with the money from selling the milk.

She said to herself, "When I sell this milk, I will buy some eggs. The eggs will hatch into chickens. The chickens will lay more eggs. Soon, I will have many chickens. Then, I can sell the chickens and buy a pretty dress and nice shoes. I will look so nice that all the boys in the village will notice me. Maybe, even the mayor's son will want to marry me!"

While she was dreaming about her future, she moved her head back, pretending she was wearing a beautiful dress. But oh no! The pail fell off her head, and all the milk spilled out.

She looked at the milk on the ground and realized her dreams were gone. She lost everything because she was too busy dreaming and did not focus on what she was doing.

Once upon a time, there was a milkmaid carrying a pail of milk on her head. She was on her way to the market, contemplating what she would do with the money she would earn from selling the milk.

She thought to herself, "When I sell this milk, I will buy some eggs. These eggs will hatch into chickens. The chickens will lay even more eggs. Soon, I will have a large flock of chickens. Then, I can sell the chickens and buy a beautiful dress and stylish shoes. I will look so wonderful that all the boys in the village will notice me. Perhaps, even the mayor's son will want to marry me!"

While she was imagining her future, she tossed her head as if she were already wearing a magnificent dress. But alas! The pail fell off her head, and all the milk spilled onto the ground.

She gazed at the milk pooling at her feet and realized that all her dreams had vanished. She lost everything because she was too busy dreaming and did not concentrate on what she was doing.

Once upon a time, a milkmaid was strutting down the road like she was on a fashion runway, a pail of milk balanced oh-so-gracefully on her noggin. She was already mentally spending the moolah she'd get from selling this liquid gold.

"Right," she thought, "sell the milk, buy some eggs. Simple. Those eggs will grow up to be like, 'Cluck, cluck! Here's breakfast, love!' And then, chickens galore! Like a chicken party, but without the disco ball."

She started to chuckle, her imagination running wild. "Oh, sell the chickens, buy the dress. Not just any dress—a red carpet knockout! Add some killer shoes, and BAM! I'm the Beyoncé of the barnyard!"

Just imagining it made her feel like a million bucks, or at least a couple hundred eggs. "All the village lads will be like, 'Who's that girl?' Even the mayor's son might give me the eye! Marriage? Why, yes, I accept your proposal, sir, you can thank me later!"

In her daydreaming bliss, she tossed her head back like she was in a shampoo commercial, picturing herself twirling in her glam wedding gown. But—OOPS!—down went the pail! Crash, splash, and farewell to her dairy dreams.

"Aw, biscuits!" She gawked at her spilled future, now just a puddle of wasted opportunities. "That's it. No chickens, no dress, no killer shoes. It's back to Cow's Got Talent for me."

Standing there, she got the memo. Her dreams got a reality check, bounced, and were marked 'Insufficient Funds.' All because she'd been on cloud nine instead of keeping both feet—and her pail—firmly on the ground.

Moral of the story? Don't count your chickens—or your wedding bells—before they hatch. Or, you know, before you've even got the eggs.

Upon a sunny pathway wide,
A milkmaid strolled, with pride inside.
A pail of milk, so fresh and cool,
Balanced atop her head, her tool.

As she walked, her mind did stray,
To dreams of wealth and a brighter day.
"With coins I earn from milk so fine,
I'll buy eggs, in a twisting line.

Those eggs will crack, and chicks emerge,
They'll cluck and peck, and then converge.
A flock of hens, all gold and brown,
I'll sell them off, in the nearby town.

With that money, oh what delight!
A new dress, shoes, all shining bright.
I'll be the belle, all will see,
Maybe the mayor's son will fancy me!"

She swayed, imagining a dance so grand,
Forgetting the pail in this dreamy land.
Tilting her head, she felt a splash,
Her milk was gone, dreams crushed in a flash.

There she stood, amidst the spill,
Dreams faded, time became still.
Though dreams are sweet, it's clear to see,
It's wise to live in reality.

Word Finder

  1. Pail

    A container to hold things like milk.

  2. Market

    A place where people buy and sell things.

  3. Chicks

    Baby chickens just hatched from eggs.

  4. Chickens

    Birds that lay eggs and can be farm animals.

  5. Dress

    Clothes that girls or women wear.

  6. Shiny

    Bright and reflects light.

  7. Mayor

    Leader of a town or city.

  8. Spills

    When liquid falls out of a container.

  9. Dreams

    Hopes or wishes for the future.

  10. Careful

    Being cautious and avoiding mistakes.

  1. Pail

    A container for carrying liquids.

  2. Market

    A place where people buy things.

  3. Hatch

    To come out of an egg.

  4. Pretty

    Very attractive or nice to look at.

  5. Village

    A small group of houses in the countryside.

  6. Mayor

    The leader of a town or city.

  7. Notice

    To see or become aware of something.

  8. Pretending

    Acting as if something is true when it isn’t.

  9. Spilled

    To let liquid fall out of a container.

  10. Realized

    To understand or become aware of something.

  1. Milkmaid

    A girl who carries and sells milk.

  2. Contemplating

    Thinking deeply about something.

  3. Earn

    Get money for work or services.

  4. Hatch

    Eggs opening to produce young birds.

  5. Stylish

    Very fashionable and attractive.

  6. Magnificent

    Very beautiful and impressive.

  7. Alas

    An expression of sorrow or regret.

  8. Pooling

    Liquid gathering in one place.

  9. Vanished

    Disappeared suddenly or completely.

  10. Concentrate

    Focus all attention on something.

  1. Milkmaid

    A woman who milks cows or sells milk. Strutting: Walking in a proud way, trying to look important. Noggin: Head (a playful or informal word). Moolah: Money (slang). Galore: A lot of something. Chuckling: Laughing quietly. Knockout: Something very attractive or impressive. Gawked: Stared openly in surprise. Memo: A short message or reminder. Insufficient: Not enough.

  1. Pathway

    A road or track made for walking.

  2. Milkmaid

    A girl or woman who milks cows.

  3. Balanced

    Kept steady or in position.

  4. Stray

    To move away from the correct place or path.

  5. Converge

    To come together from different directions.

  6. Flock

    A group of birds or animals.

  7. Belle

    The most beautiful girl or woman at an event.

  8. Swayed

    Moved slowly back and forth.

  9. Tilting

    Leaning or sloping to one side.

  10. Amidst

    In the middle of; surrounded by.

Understanding Questions

  1. What does the girl carry to the market?

    1. Eggs
    2. Milk
    3. Water
    4. Chickens
  2. Where does the girl carry the pail of milk?

    1. In her hand
    2. On her head
    3. On her back
    4. In a cart
  3. What does the girl want to buy first with the money from selling the milk?

    1. Shoes
    2. A dress
    3. Eggs
    4. Chickens
  4. What happens when the girl moves her head?

    1. She buys eggs.
    2. The pail falls.
    3. The chickens run away.
    4. She sells the milk.
  5. Why is the girl sad at the end of the story?

    1. She loses the milk.
    2. She cannot buy a dress.
    3. The boys do not look at her.
    4. The mayor's son does not marry her.
  1. What was the girl carrying on her head while going to the market?
  2. What did the girl plan to buy with the money from selling the milk?
  3. What did the girl imagine would happen after she bought eggs?
  4. Why did the pail of milk fall off the girl's head?
  5. How did the girl feel after the milk spilled on the ground?
  1. What was the milkmaid contemplating while carrying the pail of milk on her head?
  2. What was the milkmaid's initial plan for the money she would earn from selling the milk?
  3. How did the milkmaid envision her future after her plan with the eggs and chickens?
  4. How did the milkmaid’s actions lead to the milk spilling onto the ground?
  5. Describe the milkmaid’s emotional transition from the beginning to the end of the fable.

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the milkmaid started daydreaming while she was still carrying the milk on her head?
  2. How do you think the milkmaid felt when all the milk spilled and she realized her dreams were ruined?
  3. Can you think of a time when you were so excited about something that you lost focus on what you were currently doing?
  4. What does this story teach us about staying focused and not getting carried away by our dreams before we achieve them?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story in our own lives to pay attention to our tasks at hand and not get too carried away with our dreams?

Fable Quotes

Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Responsibility is the key to safeguarding dreams; neglecting it can spill success into despair.
Success demands focus and diligence, for daydreams alone cannot turn dreams into reality.
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