Carrying her pail of milk upon her head, a milkmaid daydreams of what she will purchase once she sells the milk at market. But the milk is spilt before the maid can sell it, and thus readers learn the phrase 'don't count your chickens before they're hatched.' Additional features include pages defining fables and morals, an introduction to Aesop, a Think-About-It section, activities for further learning, and an introduction to both the author and illustrator.