New Short Story for Kids written by: Miriam de la cruz.

Click here to read: LITTLE HEN ON STILTS (FIRST PART) 

…The merchant was shocked, he thought the hen was offended and turned around to leave the yard, but Jewel’s mother with shiny, coffee coloured feathers stopped him. She was the same height and with small legs like Jewel and she held her daughter´s hand.

She asked the merchant: “How much are the stilts? Is it true that they will make Jewel´s legs longer?”.

And the merchant said: “It´s true!” People from the circus use them to be taller and to impress the audience. This is the way, they can all see their pirouettes”.

 

 

– “How much are they?” – asked the mother hen again.

The hungry merchant answered: “They will cost you a hen stew”.

The hens were shocked.

– “Oh, nooo!” – said the mother hen – “We are all very young! But I can buy a little pig for you that is for sale in the other courtyard”.

– “No, no, no, I don´t like pigs” – complained the merchant – “If I can´t have a hen stew, you can´t have the stilts, there is no deal!”

The hens went very quiet and Mother hen became very sad because she could not please her daughter, but she exclaimed:

– “It has been my dream for my whole life; to have long legs, and now it is my daughter´s dream. I want to fulfill her dream. So, on second thoughts, as I am the oldest in the yard, I will give up my life in exchange for the stilts for my daughter”.

Jewel was shocked and looked at her mum frightened because at that moment she could see the love inside herself and the love she felt for her mum. She understood that beauty was actually inside and a tear rolled down her cheek. She exclaimed:

– “I am fine mum, I am fine! I don´t need stilts at all! I have seen my mum and I have recognised myself. I just need self-confidence , I don´t need the stilts to be taller. For what? My values are not on my short legs, but in my heart“. I realise that now.

Looking with love at her mum, her beautiful mum who preferred to give her live in exchange for a pair of wooden legs for her, she sighed and held her mum´s hand and they walked inside.

The merchant, left the yard, bored, hungry and angry. After several months he came back to town. But he did not see the yard because  the inhabitants in town had enjoyed and eaten many delicious hen stews. He exclaimed:

-“I missed my hen stew for moving to fast and for trying to cheat them. Now I have to eat pig again, just as on that day I also missed my mother hen stew. What a good lesson for life!”

You are worth more than you think. You only need to see somebody demonstrating their love to you or giving up their life for you to understand the value of a big heart and a good feeling. There will always be people around you that will try to take advantage of you if you don´t know who you are or what you are worth.

THE END

GRANNY´s Short Stories, dedicated to my grandchildren, Valentín and Matías.

 

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