Patty the Milkmaid was going to market carrying her milk in a Pail on her head.
As she went along she began calculating what she would do with the money she would get for the milk.
"I'll buy some hens from Farmer Brown," she said, "and they will lay eggs each morning, which I will sell to the person's wife. With the money that I get from the sale of these eggs I'll buy myself a new gown and a hat; and when I go to market, won't all the young men come up and speak to me! Polly Shaw will be that jealous; but I don't care. I shall just look at her and toss my head like this."
As she spoke she tossed her head back, the Pail
fell off it, and all the milk was spilt. So she
had to go home and tell her mother what had
occurred.
"Ah, my child," said the mother,
Moral: "Do not count your chickens
before they are hatched."