Once there was a hen who had a large brood of little chicks. They were all fine, plump little birds, except the youngest. He was quite unlike his brothers and sisters. He looked as if he had been cut right in half. All of his brothers and sisters had two wings and two legs and two eyes, but he had only one wing, one leg, and one eye. And he had only half a head and half a beak. His mother shook her head sadly as she looked at him. “Poor thing!” she said.
“He is only a half-chick.”
The mother hen called her youngest chick Medio Pollito [MEHdee-oh poh-YEE-toh], which is Spanish for “half-chick.” She thought that he would never be able to take care of himself. She decided that she would have to keep him at home and look after him.
But Medio Pollito had a different idea. Medio Pollito turned out to be a very stubborn and independent little chick. Even though his brothers and sisters did just what they were told to do, Medio Pollito did not. When his mother called for him to come back to the chicken house, he hid in the cornfield. Sometimes he pretended that he could not hear her (because, of course, he had only one ear). The older he became, the more willful he became. He would not listen to his mother and he was often rude to his brothers and sisters, even though they were always extra nice to him.
Medio Pollito Leaves for Madrid
One day Medio Pollito strutted up to his mother and made an announcement: “I am tired of life in this dull barnyard. I am going to Madrid to dine with the king.”
“Madrid!” exclaimed his mother. “Why, that is a long journey, even for a grown-up. You aren’t old enough to go to Madrid yet. Wait a bit.
When you are a little older, we will go to the city together.”
But Medio Pollito had made up his mind. He would not listen to his mother, or to his brothers and sisters, all of whom pleaded with him to stay. “I am going to Madrid to dine with the king,” he declared. “And when I get there I will make my fortune and live in a big house. Perhaps I will even invite the rest of you to pay me a short visit sometime.” With that, he turned and hopped off on his one leg.
His mother ran after him and called out, “Be sure to be kind to everyone you meet!” But Medio Pollito did not listen. He was in a hurry and, as usual, was thinking only of himself.
Medio Pollito At The Stream
Medio Pollito hopped on until he came to a little stream of water that was almost choked with weeds. “Oh, Medio Pollito,” the stream called out, “please help me by pulling some of these weeds so I can flow freely!”
“Help you?” exclaimed Medio Pollito, tossing his head and shaking the few feathers in his tail. “Do you think I have time to waste to do that sort of thing? Help yourself, and don’t bother busy travelers like me. I am off to Madrid to dine with the king.”
And away he hopped.
Medio Pollito At The Fire
A little later, Medio Pollito came to an abandoned fire that some campers left burning in the woods. “Oh, Medio Pollito,” the fire said, “please toss some sticks on me so I won’t burn out!”
“Poo!” said Medio Pollito. “Do you think I have time to waste to do that sort of thing? I am off to Madrid to dine with the king.” And away he hopped.
Medio Pollito at the tree blowing in the wind
The next morning, as he was nearing Madrid, Medio Pollito came upon a large chestnut tree in which the wind had gotten tangled up. “Oh, Medio Pollito,” said the wind, “won’t you climb up here and help me get myself untangled?”
“It’s your own fault for going so high up there,” said Medio
Pollito. “And besides, I don’t have time to waste to do that sort of thing. I am off to Madrid to dine with the king.” And away he hopped.
When he entered the city, Medio Pollito saw the beautiful royal palace. He was so excited to meet the king; he hopped right into the courtyard without hesitation. The king’s cook spotted him and yelled, “You will make a nice addition to the king’s dinner.”
The cook scooped up Medio Pollito in his hand. He took him back to the kitchen, and tossed him into a pot of water! Then he set the pot on the stove.
Medio Pollito in the kitchen
Medio Pollito was getting very wet. “Oh, water!” he cried, “don’t soak me like this!” But the water replied, “You would not help me when I was a little stream choking with weeds, so why should I help you now?” 18
Then the fi re on the stove began to heat the water. Medio Pollito felt very hot. “Oh, fire!” he cried, “don’t cook me like this!” But the fire replied, “You would not help me when I was about to burn out, so why should I help you now?”
The fire got hotter and hotter. The heat was so unbearable that Medio Pollito grew more and more desperate to escape. Just then, the cook raised the lid of the pot to see if the soup was ready.
“What’s this?” said the cook. “I have overcooked the chicken.
He is all blackened and burnt to a crisp. I can’t serve this to the king
The cook tossing Medio Pollito out the window
The cook grabbed Medio Pollito and threw him out the kitchen window. With a gust, the wind caught him and carried him away so fast he could hardly breathe.
“Oh, wind,” Medio Pollito cried, “don’t push me around like this. Please, set me down!” But the wind replied, “You would not help me when I was caught in the tree, so why should I help you now?” And with that the wind lifted Medio Pollito up in the air to the top of a building and left him stuck atop the cupola.
Weathervane over Madrid
And that is where you can find Medio Pollito, to this very day. If you go to Madrid and look for the tallest church in town, you will see a black weather vane in the shape of half a chicken, turning in the wind. That is Medio Pollito, the chick who would not help others. Now he stays there and helps everyone by showing them which way the wind is blowing—forever.
“He is only a half-chick.”
The mother hen called her youngest chick Medio Pollito [MEHdee-oh poh-YEE-toh], which is Spanish for “half-chick.” She thought that he would never be able to take care of himself. She decided that she would have to keep him at home and look after him.
But Medio Pollito had a different idea. Medio Pollito turned out to be a very stubborn and independent little chick. Even though his brothers and sisters did just what they were told to do, Medio Pollito did not. When his mother called for him to come back to the chicken house, he hid in the cornfield. Sometimes he pretended that he could not hear her (because, of course, he had only one ear). The older he became, the more willful he became. He would not listen to his mother and he was often rude to his brothers and sisters, even though they were always extra nice to him.
Medio Pollito Leaves for Madrid
One day Medio Pollito strutted up to his mother and made an announcement: “I am tired of life in this dull barnyard. I am going to Madrid to dine with the king.”
“Madrid!” exclaimed his mother. “Why, that is a long journey, even for a grown-up. You aren’t old enough to go to Madrid yet. Wait a bit.
When you are a little older, we will go to the city together.”
But Medio Pollito had made up his mind. He would not listen to his mother, or to his brothers and sisters, all of whom pleaded with him to stay. “I am going to Madrid to dine with the king,” he declared. “And when I get there I will make my fortune and live in a big house. Perhaps I will even invite the rest of you to pay me a short visit sometime.” With that, he turned and hopped off on his one leg.
His mother ran after him and called out, “Be sure to be kind to everyone you meet!” But Medio Pollito did not listen. He was in a hurry and, as usual, was thinking only of himself.
Medio Pollito At The Stream
Medio Pollito hopped on until he came to a little stream of water that was almost choked with weeds. “Oh, Medio Pollito,” the stream called out, “please help me by pulling some of these weeds so I can flow freely!”
“Help you?” exclaimed Medio Pollito, tossing his head and shaking the few feathers in his tail. “Do you think I have time to waste to do that sort of thing? Help yourself, and don’t bother busy travelers like me. I am off to Madrid to dine with the king.”
And away he hopped.
Medio Pollito At The Fire
A little later, Medio Pollito came to an abandoned fire that some campers left burning in the woods. “Oh, Medio Pollito,” the fire said, “please toss some sticks on me so I won’t burn out!”
“Poo!” said Medio Pollito. “Do you think I have time to waste to do that sort of thing? I am off to Madrid to dine with the king.” And away he hopped.
Medio Pollito at the tree blowing in the wind
The next morning, as he was nearing Madrid, Medio Pollito came upon a large chestnut tree in which the wind had gotten tangled up. “Oh, Medio Pollito,” said the wind, “won’t you climb up here and help me get myself untangled?”
“It’s your own fault for going so high up there,” said Medio
Pollito. “And besides, I don’t have time to waste to do that sort of thing. I am off to Madrid to dine with the king.” And away he hopped.
When he entered the city, Medio Pollito saw the beautiful royal palace. He was so excited to meet the king; he hopped right into the courtyard without hesitation. The king’s cook spotted him and yelled, “You will make a nice addition to the king’s dinner.”
The cook scooped up Medio Pollito in his hand. He took him back to the kitchen, and tossed him into a pot of water! Then he set the pot on the stove.
Medio Pollito in the kitchen
Medio Pollito was getting very wet. “Oh, water!” he cried, “don’t soak me like this!” But the water replied, “You would not help me when I was a little stream choking with weeds, so why should I help you now?” 18
Then the fi re on the stove began to heat the water. Medio Pollito felt very hot. “Oh, fire!” he cried, “don’t cook me like this!” But the fire replied, “You would not help me when I was about to burn out, so why should I help you now?”
The fire got hotter and hotter. The heat was so unbearable that Medio Pollito grew more and more desperate to escape. Just then, the cook raised the lid of the pot to see if the soup was ready.
“What’s this?” said the cook. “I have overcooked the chicken.
He is all blackened and burnt to a crisp. I can’t serve this to the king
The cook tossing Medio Pollito out the window
The cook grabbed Medio Pollito and threw him out the kitchen window. With a gust, the wind caught him and carried him away so fast he could hardly breathe.
“Oh, wind,” Medio Pollito cried, “don’t push me around like this. Please, set me down!” But the wind replied, “You would not help me when I was caught in the tree, so why should I help you now?” And with that the wind lifted Medio Pollito up in the air to the top of a building and left him stuck atop the cupola.
Weathervane over Madrid
And that is where you can find Medio Pollito, to this very day. If you go to Madrid and look for the tallest church in town, you will see a black weather vane in the shape of half a chicken, turning in the wind. That is Medio Pollito, the chick who would not help others. Now he stays there and helps everyone by showing them which way the wind is blowing—forever.
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