Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch Story

The don't count your chickens before they hatch story is a very meaningful story, extremely popular in British literature. Do not count your chickens before they hatch meaning will be evident through this story. It teaches us that one must not overthink or create dreams before the thing actually happens.

This is also an idiom often used in English literature. The story is about young and beautiful women who sell cow miles for a living. One day when the cow gave a little more milk the women began to make big plans and dream about money. As she is so lost in dreaming the milk bucket falls down and all her dreams are shattered. Then the young woman realises that she should have not made big plans before anything happened.

The Origin of Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch Story

The don't count your chickens before they hatch story is said to be one of the Aesop Fables, although there is no confirmation yet. Aesop was a slave in the greek kingdom a thousand years ago. It is said that he wrote more than 500 different moral stories during his lifetime. Most of his stories include animal living and thinking like humans. The story was certainly seen in Thomas Howell's book titled "New Sonnets and Pretty Pamphlets published in the 1600s''. The story included the phrase "Count not thy Chickens that unhatched be" meaning “Don't count your chicken before they hatch for the first time".

Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch Story

Once upon a time in a small green village, there lived a young milkmaid with her family. Each day the young milkmaid used to wake up early in the morning to milk the cow. After taking the milk from the cow, she used to walk to the city and sell it for money. This was her everyday routine.

On one pleasant morning, the milkmaid woke up and milked the cow. Soon the milkmaid realised that the cow has given quite a lot more milk than on other days. The milkmaid was very happy and thought that "Today the cow gave extra milk, what if she gives more milk every day. It would mean that I will earn extra money every day, and soon I will be rich". Out of excitement, she began murmuring again "Once I get the extra money I will purchase a few hens, and take very good care of them. I would feed and clean them every day. Soon the hens will lay eggs and new hens will be born.”

The young milkmaid kept on thinking "Once those hens will grow up, I will sell them in the market for a good price. And with that good money will purchase more and more hens. Alas! I will become so rich and happy.” The milkmaid then dreamed of her marriage and thought "I am very beautiful and young. Soon I will also turn rich. This means that every boy in the village would beg to marry me. But I will only accept the boy I like and say yes, yes, yes!”

As she dreamed of her wedding, she nodded her head to say yes out of happiness. As soon as she nodded her head the bucket full of milk fell from her head and the whole milk was spilled on the floor. The poor milkmaid became extremely sad and realised that "She shouldn't have counted chickens before they hatch", i.e., she should not have made such elaborate plans beforehand.

The Milkmaid with the Spilled Milk

Don't Count Your Chickens Moral of the Story

As the title suggests, the moral of the don't count your chickens story is that one must not build bridges of thoughts before their work is done successfully. Just like the milkmaid. One day her cow gave a little milk and she began to make plans of being rich and marrying, therefore her milk spilled and all her dreams were shattered. One must go with the flow and plan things only after the good thing has happened. This is also an idiom often used in stories.

Note to Parents

The don't count your chickens before they hatch story is a very meaningful story that tells the importance of staying in the present and not overthinking scenarios on weak bases. This doesn't say your chicken's story is best for parents to tell during bedtime. This  does not count your chickens before they are hatched meaning describes a complex topic in a very simple and interesting manner.