Long ago, a black hen had a marvellous brood of a dozen chicks. Only the smallest chick was different. He had one wing, one leg and one eye. In fact, he was only half a chick. So, they named him ‘Half-Chick.’ But he was the most active and adventurous little fellow in the brood.
Everyone laughed at him or teased him or felt sorry for him. But Half-Chick was determined to go and meet the King. One morning, he hopped away on his one leg to Madrid to see the King.
As he hopped through the fields, he heard a cry for help. It came from a stream choked with weeds, “Could you remove the weeds so that I may flow easily?” But the Half-Chick refused to stop and help the stream.
Further along, there was a dying fire that pleaded with him, “Please add a few sticks and dry leaves so that I may burn brightly!” But the Half-Chick walked off saying he was going to meet the King. He had no time to help the fire.
Then he heard a strange sound. The wind was caught in a tangle of the branches of a chestnut tree and needed help to get him disentangled. But the Half-Chick was far too busy to help the wind.
The Half-Chick arrived at the palace in Madrid and asked to see the King. Unfortunately, the palace cook saw him and grabbed him. He threw him into a pot of water to make delicious chicken soup.
The Half-Chick hated getting wet and yelled to get him out of the water. But he hadn’t helped the water in the stream, so the water refused to help him.
The cook lit the fire under the pot and the water began to boil. “Help!” yelled the Half-Chick, “Fire! Do stop burning so bright!” But he had ignored the fire’s plea for help, so it just burnt more brightly.
The cook found that the chick was only a half; it wasn’t enough for good soup. So, he threw the Half-Chick out into the street. A strong wind was blowing and it picked up the Half-Chick and swept it right across the town. No amount of pleading by the Half-Chick stopped the wind, for he had not helped to disentangle the wind from the tree-branches.
The wind blew the scalded Half-Chick right on top of the tall spire of the church. And he remained there on top of the spire being turned round and round by the wind!
