Listen to and read the story of The Milk Maid and Her Pail and answer the questions given below:
Martha, the milkmaid made her living by selling milk. She always dreamt of becoming rich and famous.
One morning, like every morning, she set out with a pail of milk over her head. Suddenly, a thought came into her mind, “With the money, I’ll get after selling this milk, I shall buy eggs. The eggs would hatch to give me a lot of chickens. I’ll sell them to buy a piglet. Then I’ll feed the piglet and when he grows fat, I’ll sell him. This will give me enough money to buy a kid. When the kid would grow into a goat, I’ll sell it. This will give me enough money to buy a cow. The cow would give me more milk, which I would sell and buy a necklace for myself. Then I will wear that necklace and go around the village. Other girls would be jealous of me. What fun would it be!”
All the while, she was dreaming, she was unaware of her surroundings. She suddenly tripped over a stone and fell. And so did her pail of milk. A cat rushed in and lapped up the milk before it seeped into the ground. “Oh, there go my chickens, piglet, goat and cow!” she cried. “All my dreams have been shattered. Had I been more careful I would have earned the money.”
When Martha went back home, she narrated the entire incident to her father. He said, “Martha, dreams inspire us to achieve our goals. But to reach those goals, we must do our job with full dedication and concentration. Dreams can come true only through hard work! Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.”
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How did Martha make a living?
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What did she always dream of?
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What thoughts came to her mind one morning, when she set out with a pail of milk on her head?
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What happened while she was day-dreaming?
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Who lapped up all the milk?
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Was Martha able to realise her dreams?
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Where did Martha go after the incident?
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To whom did she narrate the whole incident?
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What did her father tell her?
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What is the meaning of – Do not count your chickens before they are hatched?