Once upon a time, a cheerful young milkmaid named Patty spent her morning milking her cows. She filled her bucket right up to the brim with sweet, creamy white milk. Feeling very proud of her hard work, she placed the full pail carefully on top of her head and set off down the sunny dirt path toward the town market.
As Patty strolled along, the morning breeze blew softly, and she began to daydream about all the wonderful things she could buy.
“When I sell this fresh milk at the market, I will earn lots of shiny silver coins,” she thought with a bright, happy smile. “With those coins, I will buy a huge basket of fresh eggs from the farmer. I will sit on the eggs gently until crack, crack, crack!—they hatch into fluffy, yellow chicks!”
Patty skipped a little in her step as her story grew bigger in her mind.
“I will feed those chicks juicy worms and seeds every day until they grow into big, healthy chickens. Then, I’ll sell the chickens and buy the prettiest pink silk dress and a matching hat with a giant ribbon! Everyone at the village fair will look at me and say, ‘Oh, look how lovely Patty looks!'”
Feeling so proud and excited, Patty tossed her head back in delight to show off her imaginary new hat.
WHOOSH! CRASH!
The bucket tipped right off her head, falling to the ground with a loud splash. All the sweet white milk spilt across the dusty road, soaking into the grass. Poor Patty looked down at the empty bucket. There would be no silver coins, no eggs, no fluffy chicks, and no pink dress!
She wiped away a tear, picked up her empty pail, and learned a lesson she would never forget: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch! It is always best to focus on the step you are taking right now before dreaming about what comes next.
