Aesop
|
Greece

A Woman and Her Hen

A woman had a special Hen that laid one egg daily, so she tried feeding it more to get two eggs, but it stopped laying altogether.
Contentment
Greed
Desire
Featured in Fable Book
An Ostrich, Birds, and Beasts
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, there was a woman who had a Hen. This special Hen would lay an egg each and every day. The woman was pleased with this daily gift but she started thinking. She wondered if there might be a way for the Hen to give her two eggs each day instead of just one.

With this thought, the woman came up with a plan. She decided to feed the Hen twice as much barley as usual, hoping this would make the Hen lay more eggs. Starting from the next day, the Hen was given double the food.

The Hen enjoyed the extra barley and started growing bigger and fatter. It looked healthier and happier. But something unexpected happened. The Hen, now fat and content, stopped laying eggs. Not a single egg was laid from that day forward.

The woman was surprised and disappointed. She had expected more eggs, but instead, she ended up with none. Her wish for more had led to less.

Once upon a time, there was a woman who owned a Hen. This Hen was special because it laid one egg every single day. The woman was happy with this, but soon she started to wonder if she could get even more eggs from the Hen.

She thought that if she fed the Hen more food, it might produce two eggs a day instead of just one. So, she made a plan. The next day, she gave the Hen twice as much food, hoping it would lay more eggs.

The Hen happily ate the extra food and started to grow bigger and heavier. It looked healthy and content. But something unexpected happened. Instead of laying more eggs, the Hen stopped laying any eggs at all.

The woman was confused and upset. She had hoped for more eggs but ended up with none. In her attempt to get more, she had lost what she already had.

Once upon a time, there was a woman who owned a Hen. This Hen was special because it laid one egg every single day. The woman was happy with this, but soon she started to wonder if she could get even more eggs from the Hen.

She thought that if she fed the Hen more food, it might produce two eggs a day instead of just one. So, she made a plan. The next day, she gave the Hen twice as much food, hoping it would lay more eggs.

The Hen happily ate the extra food and started to grow bigger and heavier. It looked healthy and content. But something unexpected happened. Instead of laying more eggs, the Hen stopped laying any eggs at all.

The woman was confused and upset. She had hoped for more eggs but ended up with none. In her attempt to get more, she had lost what she already had.

Once upon a jiggly-wiggly time in a far-off patch of grass called "Backyardia," lived a woman with a Hen who was basically the Beyoncé of the barnyard. Every single day, this feathered diva laid an egg that shone like a disco ball. Imagine that—chicken stardom!

Now, the woman got to thinking—an idea popped in her head like a champagne cork. "Hmm," she mused, "if my Hen is so eggstraordinary, why settle for a one-egg show? Two eggs would be like having double scoops of ice cream!"

So, what's cooking? The grand idea! She decided to treat the Hen to heaps of delicious barley, making every day a Chicken Food Festival. Our Hen was absolutely eggstatic! If chickens could boogie, she'd be doing the barnyard boogaloo.

But, hold the phone! Plot twist alert! With her tummy fuller than a pillow at a sleepover, the Hen decided it was vacay time. That's right—no eggs, zilch, nada! If she wore a hat, it'd be in the air right now, shouting, "Gotcha!"

The woman was utterly flabbergasted. From dreaming of an egg bonanza, she got zippo. It was like waiting for a double rainbow but getting gray clouds and drizzle instead.

So now, there's the woman, tallying her make-believe eggs, while her Hen struts around as if she’s just aced 'Cluck Factor'—yet not laying a single chart-topping egg.

There once was a woman, quite keen,
Who owned a prolific gold Hen.
Each day there’d be one,
Golden egg, in the sun.

She thought, "Can I get two or ten?
What if more food, to Hen I lend?"
Double the barley, she gave,
Hoping her fortunes to save.

The Hen grew plump, its feathers gleamed,
Living a life, it might have dreamed.
Yet something changed, not for the best,
The Hen decided to take a rest.

No eggs appeared, not even one,
The woman sighed, "What have I done?"
Her face turned long, her eyes grew wet,
For greed had made her lose her bet.

She learned a lesson, quite complex,
More isn't always what comes next.
Be grateful for the gifts you get,
Or you might end up with regret.

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Word Finder

  1. Owned

    Had something that belonged only to her.

  2. Special

    Different in a way that makes it important.

  3. Wonder

    Think about something and be curious.

  4. Produce

    Make or create something, like an egg.

  5. Instead

    Choosing one thing over another option.

  6. Plan

    A detailed idea for how to do something.

  7. Twice

    Two times more than the original amount.

  8. Content

    Feeling happy and satisfied with something.

  9. Unexpected

    Something surprising that you didn't expect.

  10. Attempt

    Trying to do something, but not always successful.

Understanding Questions

  1. Why did the woman decide to feed the Hen more food?
  2. How did the Hen react to receiving extra food?
  3. What did the woman expect to happen when she gave the Hen more food?
  4. What was the result after the Hen ate the extra food for a few days?
  5. How did the woman feel at the end of the story, and why?
Word Finder
  1. Owned

    Had something that belonged only to her.

  2. Special

    Different in a way that makes it important.

  3. Wonder

    Think about something and be curious.

  4. Produce

    Make or create something, like an egg.

  5. Instead

    Choosing one thing over another option.

  6. Plan

    A detailed idea for how to do something.

  7. Twice

    Two times more than the original amount.

  8. Content

    Feeling happy and satisfied with something.

  9. Unexpected

    Something surprising that you didn't expect.

  10. Attempt

    Trying to do something, but not always successful.

Understanding Questions

    Why did the woman decide to feed the Hen more food?

    1. Because she was hungry.
    2. Because she wanted it to grow bigger.
    3. Because it was a special occasion.
    4. Because she liked to cook.
  1. How did the Hen react to receiving extra food?

    1. It ate eagerly.
    2. It ignored the food.
    3. It ran away.
    4. It shared with other animals.
  2. What did the woman expect to happen when she gave the Hen more food?

    1. She expected it to be happy.
    2. She expected it to lay more eggs.
    3. She expected it to get sick.
    4. She expected it to fly away.
  3. What was the result after the Hen ate the extra food for a few days?

    1. It became sick.
    2. It laid more eggs.
    3. It stopped eating.
    4. It ran away.
  4. How did the woman feel at the end of the story, and why?

    1. She felt happy because the Hen was healthy.
    2. She felt sad because the Hen left.
    3. She felt angry because the Hen was ungrateful.
    4. She felt confused about what to do next.
  1. Why did the woman decide to feed the Hen more food?
  2. How did the Hen react to receiving extra food?
  3. What did the woman expect to happen when she gave the Hen more food?
  4. What was the result after the Hen ate the extra food for a few days?
  5. How did the woman feel at the end of the story, and why?
  1. Why did the woman decide to feed the Hen more food?
  2. How did the Hen react to receiving extra food?
  3. What did the woman expect to happen when she gave the Hen more food?
  4. What was the result after the Hen ate the extra food for a few days?
  5. How did the woman feel at the end of the story, and why?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why do you think the woman decided to feed the hen twice as much food?
  2. What happened to the hen after it started eating more?
  3. Can you think of a time when wanting more of something didn't work out the way you expected?
  4. What does this story teach us about being satisfied with what we have?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story when we feel like we want more of something?
Fable Quotes
True wealth lies not in having more, but in wanting less.
More isn't always better; sometimes it leads to less.
Unchecked desires can lead to unexpected outcomes.
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