The Little Hen

A little speckled hen lived in Grandmother’s yard. One morning she laid a beautiful speckled egg, and Grandmother put it in a small basket on the kitchen shelf.…

A little speckled hen lived in Grandmother’s yard. One morning she laid a beautiful speckled egg, and Grandmother put it in a small basket on the kitchen shelf. Flour, honey and a jug of milk were already nearby: that evening, the whole family was going to bake a large celebration pie. The hen strutted proudly by the window, admiring her gift.

A little mouse ran along the shelf, hurrying to take a grain to the pantry. Her tail accidentally brushed the basket’s handle. The egg rolled out, but instead of falling on the floor, it landed straight in a clean bowl and cracked neatly. The mouse stood still for a moment, then called Grandmother and honestly told her what had happened.

The unexpected clink caused a funny stir in the yard. The gate creaked, the hens flapped their wings, the geese stretched their necks, and the dog peeped out of his kennel. Even the old weather vane on the roof began spinning faster than usual. Everyone wanted to know what had happened, and soon all the household animals were gathered at the kitchen window.

Two granddaughters were carrying water just then. Distracted by the curious crowd, they splashed a little onto the porch. Grandmother hurried to mix the dough, sending a small cloud of flour above the table. Then she stopped, smiled and suggested that everyone take a calm breath, wipe up the water and carry on without rushing.

The mouse collected the scattered grains, the granddaughters wiped the porch, and Grandmother added the egg from the clean bowl to the dough. The hen brought another egg for a golden crust. Soon a fragrant pie stood on the table, and everyone had a slice. They all agreed that it was much easier to put a small accident right together than to turn it into a big fuss, and by then they could laugh about the morning’s commotion.