Atondido Stories
The fire changed himself into ashes and then there was room for
him to get into the basket.
The little white hen journeyed on and on, and finally she ar-
rived at the royal palace.
"Who are you and what are you carrying in your little brown
basket?" asked the royal doorkeeper when he opened the door.
"I am the little white hen and I am carrying a letter to the king,"
replied the little white hen. She didn't say a word about the fox
and the river and the fire which she had in her little brown bas-
ket. She was so frightened before the great royal doorkeeper of
the palace that she could hardly find her voice at all.
The royal doorkeeper invited the little white hen to enter the
palace and he led her to the royal throne where the king was
sitting. The little white hen bowed very low before the king—so
low, in fact, that it mussed up all her feathers.
"Who are you and what is your business?" asked the king in
his big, deep, kingly voice.
"Quirrichi, quirrichi, I am the little white hen," replied the
little white hen in her low, frightened, little voice. "I have come
to bring my letter to your royal majesty." She handed the king
the piece of paper which had remained all this time at the
bottom of the little brown basket. There were marks of dirt upon
it where the friendly fox's feet had rested. It was damp where
the river had lain. It had tiny holes in it where the fire had sat af-
ter he had turned himself into hot ashes.
"What do you mean by bringing me this dirty piece of pa-
per?" shouted the king in his biggest, deepest, gruffest voice. "I
am highly offended. I always knew that hens were stupid little
creatures but you are quite the stupidest little hen I ever saw in
all my life."
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