The Curly-Haired Hen

On a rainy afternoon the three grandchildren gather around their grandfather, pleading for a story. He begins with the tale of Mother Etienne, a stout, widowed woman who poured her love into the animals of her expansive farm rather than seeking a new husband. Her gentle heart turns the farm into a sanctuary, where every creature—from the glossy‑coated horse Coco to the shy chickens—feels cherished. The narrator’s warm recollections paint a vivid picture of moss‑covered thatch roofs, bronze bells jingling over Swiss cows, and a pond teeming with frogs.

Life on the farm hums with routine and watchful care. Petit‑Jacques tends the cows while Labrie the watchdog circles the poultry‑yard, ever ready to shield ducklings from mischievous pigs or prowling rats. Mother Etienne’s philosophy—“the weak need protection”—guides her daily chores, from feeding sugar‑loving horses to shepherding tiny chicks into safety. As the children listen, they sense the quiet magic of a world where kindness to the smallest beings shapes a lasting legacy.