🪣👧 The Milkmaid and Her Pail
📜 The Milkmaid and Her Dreams
Aesop’s Fable – Easy English Version
NARRATOR:
One bright morning, a young milkmaid was walking to town with a pail of fresh milk balanced on her head.
The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and she was full of happy thoughts.
She walked carefully down the road, smiling to herself.
🥛 MILKMAID (thinking):
“I’ll sell this milk at the market and earn good money.
With that money, I’ll buy a basket of eggs.
The eggs will hatch into fluffy little chicks.”
NARRATOR:
She imagined the chicks growing into hens.
🥚 MILKMAID (thinking):
“I’ll feed them well, and soon I’ll have many chickens.
I’ll sell them and make even more money!
Then, I’ll buy myself a beautiful red dress.”
NARRATOR:
She kept walking, her steps light and full of joy.
👗 MILKMAID (thinking):
“At the village party, everyone will look at me.
They’ll say, ‘Wow! What a lovely dress!’
I’ll toss my head and smile proudly!”
NARRATOR:
She laughed at the thought—and tossed her head.
SPLASH!
The pail fell off her head.
Milk spilled all over the ground, soaking the earth.
NARRATOR:
She gasped and looked down.
No milk.
No money.
No eggs.
No chickens.
No red dress.
Everything was gone—just like that.
NARRATOR (ending):
The milkmaid sighed and said to herself,
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
And from that day on, she walked with her head high—but her thoughts on the ground.
THE END.
📚 Vocabulary
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Milkmaid – a girl who carries and sells milk
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Pail – a bucket, often used to carry liquid
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Market – a place where people buy and sell things
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Hatch – when baby birds come out of eggs
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Dress – a piece of clothing worn by girls or women
🗣 Useful Expressions
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“I’ll sell this milk at the market.” – She has a plan to make money
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“What a lovely dress!” – People will admire her dress at the party
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“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” – Don’t dream too far ahead before something actually happens
❓Comprehension Questions
1. 🥛 What was the milkmaid carrying on her head?
2. 🥚 What did she want to buy with the money from the milk?
3. 🐥 What would the eggs become?
4. 👗 What did she dream about wearing?
5. 😢 What happened when she tossed her head?