The Milkmaid and Her Pail

The story

The sun had not yet fully risen, and dew still clung to the grass on the farm. A girl with two short braids knelt in the barn, ladling fresh milk into a pail until it was full, white and sweet-smelling. She lifted the pail carefully onto her head, pushed open the wooden barn door, and set off down the path toward the market. If the milk sold well today, there would be extra bread for supper.

She walked along the sunlit farm path, the light slanting low across the grass. As she walked, she began to make plans. "When I sell this milk," she thought, "I will have enough to buy some eggs." The more she thought about it, the lighter and quicker her steps became.

"The eggs will hatch into chicks, and the chicks will grow," she thought on. "Once they are plump, fine hens, I will take them to market too, and I will have saved even more money." A butterfly drifted past the roadside flowers, but she was too busy counting her hens and eggs to notice.

"And when I have saved enough, I will buy a sky-blue ribbon for my braids, and a new pair of shoes." The girl could not help smiling. She pictured herself walking into the market in her new shoes, ribbon fluttering, while the neighbors turned to admire how clever and how fine she looked. Feeling quite pleased with herself, she gave her head a proud little toss, as though the ribbon were already tied in her hair.

The moment she tossed her head, the pail lost its balance and slipped from her head, landing with a thud on the path. The milk spilled out, running across the dusty ground in a thin white stream before soaking away into the earth.

The girl stood still, watching the empty pail roll to one side. The eggs, the chicks, the ribbon, and the new shoes had all vanished along with the milk, for none of them had ever been more than a thought. She knelt down and set the pail upright again, her eyes stinging a little, though she did not cry.

The walk home was much quieter than the walk out had been, and the evening light was growing dim. The girl carried her empty pail step by careful step, but she kept one thing firmly in mind: it is good to dream happily of tomorrow, but every step today still needs to be walked with care, or a fine plan can spill away as easily as a pail of milk.