Atondido Stories
changed itself into hot ashes jumped out of the little brown bas-
ket. It immediately became dark, so dark that the royal house-
hold could not even see each other's faces and, of course, they
could not see in which direction the little white hen was running.
There was nothing for them to do but to return to the royal pal-
ace and live on beef and mutton.
The fire which had turned itself into ashes sprang out of the
little brown basket so suddenly that it scattered ashes all over the
little white hen. From that day she was always speckled where
the ashes fell upon her. The chickens of the little white hen (who
was now a little speckled hen) were all speckled too. So were
their chickens and their chickens and their chickens' chickens,
even down to this very day. Whenever you see a speckled hen
you may know that she is descended from the little white hen
who carried a letter to the king, and who, in her adventures, be-
came the first speckled hen.
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