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Stories For Children: The Milkmaid And Her Pail

Team StoryWeavers|February 15, 2023, 16:50 IST| 6

Everyone in the village woke up to the rooster’s crow “cock-a-doodle-doo” as the morning began. Everybody was up and moving on this lovely day. In this village lived a farmer and his daughter named Amy. She was a kind, hard-working girl with a tendency to daydream. She worked as a milkmaid, and in the early hours of the day, Amy would carry her wooden pail and go to the nearby farms to milk the cows and collect the milk to sell later.

Today was the same; Amy was on her way to the farmer’s market to sell the milk she had collected. She placed the milk pail on her head and started walking towards the market.

Soon she began to daydream about the money she would earn by selling the milk and using that money to purchase a hen. How the hen would lay eggs, and they would hatch into chickens and grow into hens, and she will have more eggs, and how she would have her poultry business. She was thinking about how people will come to her for business issues and shook her head as she thought about how she would handle them, and the pail of milk slipped from her head and fell on the ground and broke. The milk had spilt all over the ground, leaving nothing for Amy to sell.

Even though she was unhappy about spilling the milk, Amy learned after this event that she needed to focus on what was happening right now instead of daydreaming about what could be. 

Moral of the milkmaid and her pail story:

  • “Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.”
  • “The future depends on what you do today.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

Thinking questions:

  • Do you think it is important to pay attention to the task at present? Why or why not?
  • When was the last time it was hard for you to pay attention to what you were doing?

Tips to focus on the task or activity you are currently doing:

  • Write down or make a note of why you are doing this task or activity. It will help you understand the importance of focusing on it and not getting distracted. 
  • Plan short breaks in advance while doing a task. Set a timer accordingly. For example, you may choose to take a 10-min break after 30 minutes of reading or solving worksheets. 
  • Break a big task into small parts instead of completing it all at once. Do gather the stuff you need to complete the task in advance. It will ensure that you can sustain your focus for a longer period of time rather than looking for the things after you have already started. 

Did you enjoy the story and the discussion questions? Let us know in the comments below.

You may read other stories for children here

Also read, 

About the Author


“Me-kha-la!” That happens at least once when she introduces herself to new people. She wholeheartedly believes in the quote by Arthur Rubinstein that says – “if you love life, life will love you back”. She is an organizational psychologist and psychometrician. She was a class teacher of 36 adorable girls for two years, grades 2 & 3, as a part of the Teach For India Fellowship. These little girls have a special place in her heart, and when she writes for children, she writes for them!

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Comments



Jeni

February 23, 2023

It was so much nice 👍 story


Sarthak

February 19, 2023

Nice one


Aviv

February 17, 2023

It’s good


Sourik

February 16, 2023

Nice story


Arw

February 15, 2023

It was a nice story


RSF

February 15, 2023

Your stories are very easy to understand. Short and accurate. Not only children, even elders are benefitted from these stories. Love them. Thank you for your support.


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