The Snake And the Chicken

The snake was a quiet creature. He lay in the long weeds all day waiting for the chicken to leave her nest so the snake could have something to eat.  Snake was getting really hungry one day and decided to go and try to get an egg from the chicken’s nest earlier than usual.  He slithered up to the chicken house and crept under the door and went into a dark corner of the chicken house. He looked to see if any of the nests were left alone. He looked around. He saw a nest with lots of eggs in it, and he quickly went over to it and tried not to be seen by the other chickens.  He got up and grabbed an egg out of the nest and swallowed it.  He then went back into the corner and slept until dark.

 When Snake heard the chickens going to eat, he once again went up and took another egg. Once he was full, he went back into the long weeds.  He heard one of the chickens yell, and he hissed to himself in an evil tone.  The chicken was very sad that her eggs were taken, so she went and got rooster and told him.  Rooster was very smart. He had a plan to catch who ever was stealing her eggs. 

The rooster went into the owner’s house and got an egg, He put it into the chicken’s nest, and then they all left.  The snake, hearing that all the chickens were outside, crawled into the chicken house and grabbed another egg. The snake swallowed it, then the chickens came back into their chicken house and they all laughed at the snake because they had put a hard boiled egg into the nest, and the snake could not crush it, so the snake could not breathe anymore and died.  All of the chickens felt better now knowing that the snake could not take their eggs anymore.

by W. F. P. Burton. London: Methuen & Co