Chicks in a Polish poultry farm. “People who count their chickens before they are hatched act very wisely” wrote Oscar Wilde to Robert Ross in May 1898, making light of his own troubles: “because chickens run about so absurdly, that it is impossible to count them accurately.”
Introduction
‘Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched’ is a proverbial warning not to plan too far ahead. In this little fable, our daydreaming country milkmaid goes some way beyond counting unhatched chicks.
A COUNTRY maid was walking along with a can of milk upon her head when she fell into the following train of reflections. “The money for which I shall sell this milk will enable me to increase my stock of eggs to three hundred. These eggs, allowing for what may prove addle and what may be destroyed by vermin will produce at least two hundred and fifty chickens.
“The chickens will be fit to carry to market just at the time when poultry is always dear; so that by the new year I cannot fail of having money enough to purchase a new gown. Green — let me consider — yes, green becomes my complexion best, and green it shall be. In this dress I will go to the fair, where all the young fellows will strive to have me for a partner; but no — I shall refuse every one of them, and with a disdainful toss turn from them.” Transported with this idea she could not forbear acting with her head the thought that thus passed in her mind; when down came the can of milk! and all her imaginary happiness vanished in a moment.
Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.
From ‘Aesop’s Fables: A New Version, Chiefly from the Original Sources’ (1911) by Thomas James (1809-1863), with illustrations by Sir John Tenniel (1820-1914).
Précis
A milkmaid imagined herself breaking the hearts of all the local beaux. She would trade milk for eggs, and chickens for a knockout green gown, and then refuse her suitors with one toss of her head — like that — forgetting that she was carrying her milk churn there. Over went the churn, and her plans came to nothing. (57 / 60 words)
A milkmaid imagined herself breaking the hearts of all the local beaux. She would trade milk for eggs, and chickens for a knockout green gown, and then refuse her suitors with one toss of her head — like that — forgetting that she was carrying her milk churn there. Over went the churn, and her plans came to nothing.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, just, must, not, otherwise, since, until.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Come. Market. So.
2 Dear. Imaginary. Thought.
3 Follow. Have. Partner.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Imaginary. 2 Little. 3 Fit. 4 Young. 5 Good. 6 Dear. 7 Lesser. 8 Proven. 9 Enough.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Come.
2.
Fair.
3.
Fall.
4.
Fit.
5.
Go.
6.
Head.
7.
Less.
8.
Young.
9.
Younger.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding un-.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
x
0
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