The Milkmaid and Her Bucket

---

A milkmaid goes outside and walks into the barn.

“Good morning, my dear cow,” she says. She takes a wooden bucket and milks the cow.

As she milks the cow, she says, “This milk is good. It will make plenty of cream.”

She stands up and pats the cow on its head. She continues, “And with the cream, I will make delicious butter. Then, I will bring it to the market and sell it for a lot of money.”

She picks up the heavy bucket. “And with the money from the butter, I will buy a lot of eggs.”

She carries the heavy bucket outside. She continues talking to herself, “And then, I will hatch the eggs. The eggs will hatch into cute little chicks.”

She walks around the barn and carries the bucket toward the house. “The chicks will grow into fat chickens. And in May, I will sell them all.”

She smiles about her plans and she starts to skip. “And with the money from the chickens, I will buy a lovely new dress and I’ll wear it to the festival.”

She laughs and spins around happily with her bucket. “And then, all the men will look at me. They will come up to me and try to flirt. They will tell me that I am beautiful and—”

Suddenly, the bucket slips from her hands. The bucket falls to the ground and all the milk spills out.

The milk is gone. And the butter is gone. And the eggs, and the chickens, and the new dress, and the men, and her pride are gone.

About this story: This is a classic fairy tale. Judy Shinohara rewrote it for Level 2 readers.