THE LITTLE HALF-CHICK

: Stories To Tell Children

There was once upon a time a Spanish Hen, who hatched out some nice

little chickens. She was much pleased with their looks as they came from

the shell. One, two, three, came out plump and fluffy; but when the

fourth shell broke, out came a little half-chick! It had only one leg

and one wing and one eye! It was just half a chicken.



The Hen-mother did not know what in the world to do with the queer

little H lf-Chick. She was afraid something would happen to it, and she

tried hard to protect it and keep it from harm. But as soon as it could

walk the little Half-Chick showed a most headstrong spirit, worse than

any of its brothers. It would not mind, and it would go wherever it

wanted to; it walked with a funny little hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, and

got along pretty fast.



One day the little Half-Chick said, "Mother, I am off to Madrid, to see

the King! Good-bye."



The poor Hen-mother did everything she could think of to keep him from

doing so foolish a thing, but the little Half-Chick laughed at her

naughtily. "I'm for seeing the King," he said; "this life is too quiet

for me." And away he went, hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, over the fields.



When he had gone some distance the little Half-Chick came to a little

brook that was caught in the weeds and in much trouble.



"Little Half-Chick," whispered the Water, "I am so choked with these

weeds that I cannot move; I am almost lost, for want of room; please

push the sticks and weeds away with your bill and help me."



"The idea!" said the little Half-Chick. "I cannot be bothered with you;

I am off to Madrid, to see the King!" And in spite of the brook's

begging, he went away, hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick.



A bit farther on, the Half-Chick came to a Fire, which was smothered in

damp sticks and in great distress.



"Oh, little Half-Chick," said the Fire, "you are just in time to save

me. I am almost dead for want of air. Fan me a little with your wing, I

beg."



"The idea!" said the little Half-Chick. "I cannot be bothered with you;

I am off to Madrid, to see the King!" And he went laughing off,

hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick.



When he had hoppity-kicked a good way, and was near Madrid, he came to a

clump of bushes, where the Wind was caught fast. The Wind was

whimpering, and begging to be set free.



"Little Half-Chick," said the Wind, "you are just in time to help me; if

you will brush aside these twigs and leaves, I can get my breath; help

me, quickly!"



"Ho! the idea!" said the little Half-Chick "I have no time to bother

with you. I am going to Madrid, to see the King." And he went off,

hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, leaving the Wind to smother.



After a while he came to Madrid and to the palace of the King.

Hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, the little Half-Chick skipped past the

sentry at the gate, and hoppity-kick, hoppity-kick, he crossed the

court. But as he was passing the windows of the kitchen the Cook looked

out and saw him.



"The very thing for the King's dinner!" she said. "I was needing a

chicken!" And she seized the little Half-Chick by his one wing and threw

him into a kettle of water on the fire.



The Water came over the little Half-Chick's feathers, over his head,

into his eyes. It was terribly uncomfortable. The little Half-Chick

cried out,--



"Water, don't drown me! Stay down, don't come so high!"



"But," the Water said, "Little Half-Chick, little Half-Chick, when I was

in trouble you would not help me," and came higher than ever.



Now the Water grew warm, hot, hotter, frightfully hot; the little

Half-Chick cried out, "Do not burn so hot, Fire! You are burning me to

death! Stop!"



But the Fire said, "Little Half-Chick, little Half-Chick, when I was in

trouble you would not help me," and burned hotter than ever.



Just as the little Half-Chick thought he must suffocate, the Cook took

the cover off, to look at the dinner. "Dear me," she said, "this chicken

is no good; it is burned to a cinder." And she picked the little

Half-Chick up by one leg and threw him out of the window.



In the air he was caught by a breeze and taken up higher than the trees.

Round and round he was twirled till he was so dizzy he thought he must

perish. "Don't blow me so, Wind," he cried, "let me down!"



"Little Half-Chick, little Half-Chick," said the Wind, "when I was in

trouble you would not help me!" And the Wind blew him straight up to the

top of the church steeple, and stuck him there, fast!



There he stands to this day, with his one eye, his one wing, and his one

leg. He cannot hoppity-kick any more, but he turns slowly round when the

wind blows, and keeps his head toward it, to hear what it says.