The Milkmaid and Her Pail

Early one summer morning, a young milkmaid named Daisy set off for the market. On her head she balanced a shining pail, full to the brim with fresh warm milk. As she walked along the lane, the birds sang and the sun smiled, and Daisy began to dream.

"This milk will fetch a good price," she thought. "With the money, I shall buy a dozen eggs."

Dreams Grow Bigger

"The eggs will hatch into fine plump chickens," she went on, stepping lightly along the path. "I will sell the chickens and buy a pretty young goat. The goat will give me milk and kids, and I will sell the kids and buy a fine new dress with ribbons, just like the mayor's daughter wears!"

She smiled at the thought. "And then all the young men in the village will come to dance with me at the fair. Oh, but I shall toss my head at them all and say no, no, no!"

One Careless Toss

And to show how she would refuse them, Daisy tossed her head proudly, just as she imagined she would at the fair. But she forgot about the pail balanced on her head!

Down it tumbled. Crash! The pail struck the ground, and the milk poured out in a white river across the dusty lane. The eggs, the chickens, the goat, the dress, and the dance all vanished in a single splash.

Poor Daisy stood staring at the empty pail. She had planned her whole future, but she had nothing left to plan it with.

Walking Home

A Lesson Learned

"Oh, Mother, I have lost everything!" sobbed Daisy. "The milk, the eggs, the chickens, the goat, the dress — all gone!" Her mother smiled gently and wiped her daughter's tears.

"My dear Daisy," she said, "you never had any of those things. You had a pail of milk, and that was real. The rest was only a dream built on air. Dreams are lovely, but they cannot pay for bread."

Daisy nodded slowly. "You are right, Mother. Tomorrow I will carry my milk carefully to market, sell it for real coins, and then — only then — I will plan what to do with the money."

And that is exactly what she did. The next morning she walked to market with steady steps, sold her milk, and came home with real coins in her pocket and a wiser heart in her chest.

With tears in her eyes, she picked up the empty pail and walked slowly back home. Her mother, hearing the story, hugged her and said, "My dear, it is good to dream, but first take care of what is in your hands."

Moral of the Story

Do not count your chickens before they hatch. Take care of today before dreaming of tomorrow.