The Hen Parade

Part One · The Hen Parade

Rosa and Hugo spent a week at Grandma's farm. Grandma had five hens. Pickle was very bossy.

She bossed the cat. She even bossed Grandma. Rosa's job was to feed the hens.

Hugo's job was to shut the gate. Hugo was four, and he loved that gate. Today the cousins were coming for a picnic.

Rosa went to feed the hens. Hugo stood on the gate and gave it a push.

It swung wide open. Pickle looked at the gate. Then she looked at Hugo.

"Bawk!" said Pickle. That means, "Let's go!" Out she marched, and the other hens followed.

Rosa ran after them. But hens do not like to be chased. They just ran faster.

Pepper ran into the beans. Daisy hid under the porch. Dot flapped up onto the wood pile.

Pickle hopped onto the tractor and sat like a queen. Hugo's lip began to shake. "I did it," he said.

Rosa looked at his sad face. "The gate did it," she said. "Now help me."

Rosa tried a bucket of corn. The hens ate the corn and walked away. Hugo tried a toy truck.

The hens did not care. Then a car came up the lane. It was the cousins!

Six cousins jumped out and started laughing at the hens. Rosa knew a funny song. At feeding time, Grandma always sang it.

It was about a hen in a hat. Every hen always came running. But Rosa never sang in front of people.

Not ever! Her cheeks got hot, because everybody was looking at her. Then she took a big breath, and she sang!

She sang about the hen in the hat, very loud. Pickle's head popped up. Daisy peeked out from under the porch.

Dot flapped off the wood pile. Pepper came out of the beans. She still had a bean.

They walked behind Rosa in a long line. It was a hen parade! The cousins banged pots, and Hugo sang loud and wrong.

Rosa led them to the gate. All five hens walked in. Hugo shut the gate behind them.

Then he looked around. He was inside, too! "Hugo, you are a hen now," said Rosa.

Everybody laughed. Grandma laughed so hard on the porch that she snorted. "They never did that for me!" she said.

Now the hens come running when Rosa says good morning. They want their song, so she sings it.

And Hugo? He still shuts the gate. He just checks which side he is on.