Don't Count your Chickens Before
they Hatch
Don't Count your Chickens Before
they Hatch
By Abbe
Once upon a time, there lived a Chinese girl. She was a rather poor girl who lived and worked on a farm just outside of Beijing, the capital of China. The girl's farm was small and beginning to deteriorate but she tried to take care of it well. She had a chicken coop with several chickens. The chickens were pleasant and healthy looking but the coop was too small for the chickens. The dark green paint that the chicken coop was painted in was chipping off and the chicken coop's roof looked as if it was about to collapse. The girl also had a burly, friendly cow that she milked every day and got barely enough milk for herself. The cow though lived in a tiny barn with no hay and just enough room for the cow and the pig, the other animal the girl owned.
The pig was very pale pink, extremely fat and a lot of fun to be around. The girl's favorite animal was the chubby pig even though she knew she'd have to sell it someday since she was delinquent on her loan payments. The girl had borrowed a significant amount of money to buy the farm and since then, her profits had gone down hill. If the girl did not get another payment to the bank by next week, she could lose the farm. However, the girl was determined never to let that happen.
This morning, the girl was going to collect the eggs from the chicken coop and milk the cow. Both of these chores had not been completed in days. Just as the girl began to walk toward the chicken coop her mind drifted into a vivid daydream.
She dreamed that her chickens would have laid many eggs since she had been there last and the cow would give her more milk than she ever had in her life. She would harvest the eggs and watch them hatch to chickens. She would keep the milk cold and the day the chickens hatched she would seize the milk and the chickens and run toward the market. Some wealthy Chinese men from the government's summit would observe how wonderful her chickens and milk appeared. This would lure them into purchasing her crops for an expensive price.
She would thank the men and take her considerable profit to the bank. There, she would see the manager and pay off her loan completely. She would have an abundance of money for herself and she would begin to repair the farm.
"Oh what a joyful dream," the girl pondered aloud.
The girl continued walking towards the chicken coop. When she arrived, the hens had laid many eggs! More than the girl dreamed possible.
" How marvelous," the girl delightfully exclaimed.
The girl gathered the eggs in a basket made from bamboo and strolled toward the barn. She set her eggs down on a table and began to milk the cow. The milk continued gushing out of the cow and filled numerous buckets. The girl could envision her dream becoming reality.
The girl scooped up the milk pails and basket of eggs and began to scamper back to the house. She was so eager to get there that she began to speed walk and then she started jogging. She could just imagine all the money she would get and how attractive the farm would look.
She was so excited that she began to run, faster and faster. All of a sudden, the girl tripped on a small twig that was impeding her path. The girl fell to the ground. Looking down at her scraped knees, the girl realized that her skirt was soaked from the milk spilling. The milk pail was laying on its side with just a few drops of milk remaining in it. She looked to her right and noticed that the eggs were all cracked and many were openly shattered.
The girl was so devastated that she now had no milk and only several cracked eggs. She began to wail and cry, sadly and dejected. The girl realized she had planned too far ahead and things went haywire and spoiled her plans. She learned to slow down and be patient and methodical and she could still get her work done just as efficiently and maybe even better.
A week later, the manager at the bank called her into his office. She walked the dirt road to the bank. When she got there she hung her head in embarrassment and disappointment for she knew what the manager would say and he said it.
"Miss, your loan payments were due today," he said simply as if it was no harm to anyone. The girl nodded her head twice slowly.
"But," he said as if something great was going to happen. "I heard how you planned too far ahead." The girl looked up at him sadly.
"I will let you keep your farm if you promise me you will never again count your chickens before they hatch." The girl looked up puzzled yet relieved and slowly exited the room.
The End