The chicken crossing
By Olivia Ortlieb
Grade 6, Dummerston School
Why did the chicken cross the road? Depending on who you ask, the answer will vary...
Although people tell many stories about that
chicken and the road, I am here to tell you what I
think he crossed the road for.
It was a cold, gloomy, mid-spring day and the
farmer and his family were sick. The farmers
were so sick that nobody could come out to feed
any of the animals. After several hours of the
farm animals lying hungry in their pens, stables
and coops, finally the chickens were willing to
risk their lives to get food for the others. Little
Jimmy, a middle-aged chicken spoke in chicken
language to the others, “Alright guys, even if it
means risking my life, I am going to get the rest
of you guys some chicken feed.” Jimmy told the
chickens to climb on top of each other and make
a stairway formation so he could get out of the
coop. Once Jimmy was out of the coop, he was
one step closer to becoming a hero and saving
his friends. Jimmy had never crossed a road, so
he knew nothing of the concept of looking both
ways before you cross. “OK,” Jimmy said to
himself, “You can do this, just cross the road. Get
some food and return to your people, or animals.”
Jimmy strolled out onto the road but he hurried
back as he saw an oncoming tractor-trailer speeding towards him. “Bacaww,” Jimmy yelled as the
truck passed by. “Let’s try this again,” he said to
himself as he ran hastily across the road causing
a car to swerve around him and almost crash. “I
did it,” Jimmy thought as he stopped to catch his
breath and think about his near-death experience.
“Yay! Jimmy made it over!” chanted the
horses from across the street. Jimmy went
straight towards the barn. “Hey,” said a hen from
the window of the henhouse. “I hear you are in
dire need of some food. Is that right?”
“Yes, that’s correct,” said Jimmy. “Do you
know where I can get some?” The hen paused for
what seemed like hours but was only a few short
seconds. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I have some
right in here, all you have to do is come inside.”
Jimmy wasn’t a bit hesitant. He smiled and said,
“Thank you, ma’am.” But there was one problem. The bag of food was too heavy for Jimmy to
drag. “Let me try to help you,” said the hen and
together they were strong enough to move the big
bag of food to the road where they ran into one
more problem... “How are we going to get this
across the road?” they asked each other.
“I’ve got it,” said Jimmy. “We can wait until
there are no cars or trucks coming and we can
carry it across as fast as we can.” The hen paused
for a moment and said, “That just may work.”
They waited patiently until nothing was coming down the road and they grabbed the bag and
crossed the road as quickly as they could. They
had done it; they had saved the whole farm and
nothing bad had happened.
Little Jimmy was a hero. He had saved his
friends in a time of darkness and need.
This Week: Rhyming & General
Each week, Young Writers Project receives several hundred
submissions from students in Vermont and New Hampshire.
With the help of a team of students, we select the best for
publication here and in 21 other newspapers. This week we
publish work in response to the prompts, Rhyming poetry; and
General writing. To read more, go to youngwritersproject.org.
About the Project
YWP is an independent nonprofit that
engages students to write, helps them
improve and connects them with authentic
audiences.
YWP runs youngwritersproject.org
and The Schools Project, a comprehensive online classroom and training
program that works with teachers to help
students develop their writing and digital
literacy skills. To learn more, go to ywpschools.net or call 802-324-9537.
Thanks from YWP
YWP is supported by the generosity of
foundations, businesses and individuals
who recognize the power and value of
writing. If you would like to contribute,
please go to youngwritersproject.org/
support, or mail your donation to YWP,
12 North St., Suite 8, Burlington, VT
05401.
Special thanks this week to
Bay and Paul Foundations
Photo of the week
I loved you
By Ruby Diamondstone
Grade 6, Green Street School
You can’t hold him close
Kiss him on the cheek
His fingers are pale
His bones fragile and weak
His face looks so gone
No spirit in sight
No memories of you two
Flying a kite
You can’t take it back
It’s not a scary dream
You can’t take the bad things back
Though they’re hurtful and mean
You know he loved you
And you loved him back
And one day this feeling
Will surely come back
Guilt
By Ruby Diamondstone
Grade 6, Green Street School
The girl stares at her reflection
In the undisturbed water
She wishes she would see someone else’s reflection
For she is ashamed
And she has to look at herself
That guilt soul they call human
If only they knew
More great student writing at
youngwritersproject.org
© Andrea Marie Neville/Chelsea Public School
Next prompts
Technology. Your cell phone is broken and you can’t get a new one. It’s your first day without
it. What happens? Alternate: Photo 11. Write a story about this
photo. Due April 26.
Long ago. Write a journal/diary entry of someone from a different time period, past or future. Alternate: Being right. Describe
a time when you were sure that you were right, but someone else
refused to see your view. Due May 3.