The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly Read Free Page A

animals weren’t strangers to her—she had thought everything would work out if she just left the coop. “And I’ve wanted to live in the yard for a long time.”
    â€œWhat? You’re an egg-laying hen. You need to lay eggs in the coop!” the dog thundered.
    â€œBut I . . .” Sprout stammered, trying to stand her ground.
    The dog grew more ferocious, lunging at her with his nostrils flaring until she fell on her bottom. This happened several times. The ducks laughed riotously. Sprout burst into tears.
    â€œYou’re being cowards! Just leave the hen alone!” Straggler shouted at them. “I came here to ask everyone’s opinion. How could you be so cruel?”
    â€œCruel? Does he forget who let him live in the shed?” one of the ducks grumbled.
    Straggler grew even more indignant. “This hen escaped from the Hole of Death! No other hen has come out of there alive. The weasel had his eye on her, but she escaped. She’s brave!”
    The ducks looked surprised.
    â€œShe stood up to the weasel!” he continued. “Could any of you do that? You would have met your end as you tried to waddle away.”
    The ducks grew silent in the face of Straggler’s vigorous defense. The old dog stopped growling.
    â€œWhat’s the big deal? We can just give her a corner of the barn,” Straggler proposed.
    Sprout marveled at his confidence. Because he always brought up the rear when the ducks went somewhere, she had always thought of him as a duckling.
    â€œBe quiet!” scolded another duck, the leader of the brace, emerging from the barn. “You’re an outsider. How dare you insult us? Don’t forget we let you live in the barn. You should be grateful!”
    The rooster came out to see what the ruckus was about. “I am the head of the barn! Straggler has no right to say this or that. I make every decision!” Everyone deferred to the rooster. His voice was commanding, just as it was when he crowed at dawn. The rooster continued: “Don’t you make a fuss. It’s late, so the weasel might come by. The hen can stay in the barn. But only tonight. The coop’s closed anyway. She can sleep on the outer edge. And as soon as I announce the dawn, she must leave at once!”
    The rooster went back into the barn. The leader of the ducks followed, as did the mallard. Cautiously Sprout went in last. The old, cantankerous dog paced the yard.
    The barn was cozy. Bowls of water and feed were spread out, and a warm tangle of hay sat in one corner. There was no wire mesh like the one that had constrained Sprout each time she tried to flap her wings. The rooster and his hen fluttered up to the roost and looked down at everyone. The ducks huddled together. Straggler crouched near the door, some distance away. That seemed to be his spot. Sprout knew she had to be even farther away from the group. So she settled on the outer edge of the barn and didn’t dare dream of nestling in the warm hay.
    â€œI can’t believe this has happened again,” grumbled the hen in the roost. “That hen has to leave in the morning. I’m very sensitive these days. I’m about to lay eggs. If I’m to hatch chicks, everything must be peaceful. I’m sure everyone remembers that I’ve lost all my chicks!”
    Sprout looked up at the hen in the roost. Even in the dark she could appreciate her beauty—her voluptuous body, lustrous feathers, and neat comb. She was a lovely companion to the gallant rooster. Sprout was envious. She wondered if she had ever been that elegant.
And she’s going to hatch an egg! I want to know what that’s like. I wish I could be just like her.
Sprout had never paid attention to the way she looked. But she knew she was particularly unattractive right now—bedraggled and featherless. Suddenly ashamed, she huddled into herself and blinked back tears. She didn’t want anyone staring at