Easter Breakfast

by Sylvia Gonzalez

Mickey, the mongoose, woke up Easter Sunday morning feeling very hungry indeed. He went to his cupboard to see what was there to eat. All he found was a small piece of bread and some butter. He felt that was not good enough for Easter breakfast.

Then he remembered Ria, the fat Red Hen, who lived with her four chicks in a little yellow house, on the other side of the hill. He thought that she would make a delicious Easter breakfast and lunch. He decided that he wouldnŐt take the chickús because they were too small.

So Mickey the Mongoose put on a pot of water on the fire and went over to the other side of the hill to catch Ria the Red Hen. He intended to cook her in the pot of boiling water, then eat her.

When Mickey reached Ria's home, he did not see the chicks, but through the open door he saw the Red Hen counting some eggs, which she was taking from a basket. She had laid those eggs herself.

Mickey went quietly up to the open door and jumped on Ria. She was so frightened that she began clucking as loudly as possible. She managed to fly up to the top of the cupboard, away from the mongoose.

Mickey was smart. He knew he could not reach the top of the cupboard. Therefore, he climbed on a table, took the Red Hen off off the cupboard, put her in a bag and headed home.

From their bedroom the little chicks had seen all that happened. They began to chirp sadly, "Cheep cheep, cheep cheep." They wanted their Mommy.

On his way home the mongoose felt tired with his load. He lay down under a mango tree to rest, but he feel asleep. Ria the Red Hen had her sewing kit in her pocket. She took her pair of scissors and cut open the bag and got out. She then filled the bag with two big stones, sewed up the hole, and ran back to her home.

When Mickey the Mongoose woke up he took up the bag and went home. As soon as he got there he opened the bag over the pot of boiling water, expecting Ria the Red Hen to fall out. Instead, the big stones fell out and splashed the hot water over him.

The mongoose started to bawl and run about his house, because he was badly burnt by the hot water. He did not get Ria the Red Hen to eat for Easter breakfast, so he had eat the small piece of bread and butter he had in his cupboard.

Mickey did not spend a happy Easter Day, but Ria and her chicks did.

© 1976