11. The Milkmaid and Her Pail – An Aesop’s Fable
Once a milkmaid was walking down the village path, carrying a pail of milk on her head. She was going from her farm to the village to sell this milk. As she walked down the path, she began to daydream.
“I will sell this pail of milk in the village. With the money I get, I should be able to buy at least three hundred eggs.
Of these three hundred eggs, at least two hundred will hatch into chickens. I will sell a hundred and fifty of these chickens in the market when the time is right. The remaining fifty will remain on my farm and grow up to lay more eggs.
With all this money I can buy a beautiful, new gown. I will wear this gown and go to the Christmas balls. All the young women will be so envious and all the young men would want to dance with me.
But I will not be so easy. I will toss my head and say no to everyone, until the Prince himself asks to dance with me.”
So saying, she tossed her head. Down fell the pail and out spilt all the milk.
Moral: Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.
Four stories are missing here in this site.
I remember this story as it was prescribed us in our 6th grade English text book. The name was ‘Persuasion is Better than Force’ . I enjoyed reading it and now my children enjoy listening to this bedtime story.
My aunt used to tell me this bedtime story when I was a kid. I really enjoyed her warm hug and story narration that put me into gentle sleep. It was heaven to be with her. Later my grandmother took over the task of story telling as my aunt got married and moved out to her husband’s house.
very nice collection of story