Penny had a great idea…
She would have a picnic, just like she had seen the humans do in the park on Sundays. She invited all her friends and told Iggy to bring a ball and Emilio to bring a kite for flying after, but none of them had to bring food because she was going to make sandwiches. Well, she was going to try to make sandwiches.
She was very excited. She had borrowed a picnic basket from MammaSteena, found a lovely spot beneath a big oak tree, and spent most of the morning arranging things. There was a blanket, a vase of flowers, six mismatched cups and a little bowl of pebbles which she thought looked pretty.
By lunchtime, everyone had arrived. Iggy was chasing butterflies, Angelica was admiring the flowers, and Spiddleby was examining something underneath the blanket. Charley was standing guard beside the basket, just in case.
Penny clapped her hands.
“Right! Who wants chicken sandwiches?”
Everyone did. They were starving.
Penny proudly lifted the lid of the picnic basket.
“CLUCK!”
A large white chicken with a bright red crest stuck its head out.
Everyone stared.
The chicken looked around, blinked twice, and hopped out of the basket. It shook its feathers, pecked at a crumb on the blanket and settled itself comfortably between Angelica and Spiddleby.
Penny beamed.
“Here she is!”
There was a long silence.
“Where are the sandwiches?” Paolo asked.
“Oh! Here!” Penny said, pulling a baguette out of the basket.
Paolo looked at the baguette. Then he looked at the chicken.
“Penny,” he said carefully, “chicken sandwiches are supposed to have chicken in them.”
“Of course!” said Penny. “That’s why I brought her!”
“No, I mean—”
The chicken laid an egg.
Penny squealed with delight.
“Oh, how lovely! She’s brought something for the picnic too!”
Nobody quite knew what to say after that.
They broke the baguette into pieces and passed them around. It wasn’t a particularly filling lunch, but the sun was warm, the flowers smelled lovely, and the chicken turned out to be very good company.A large white chicken with a bright red crest stuck its head out.
Everyone stared.
The chicken looked around, blinked twice, and hopped out of the basket. It shook its feathers, pecked at a crumb on the blanket and settled itself comfortably between Angelica and Spiddleby.
Penny beamed.
“Here she is!”
There was a long silence.
“Where are the sandwiches?” Paolo asked.
“Oh! Here!” Penny said, pulling a baguette out of the basket.
Paolo looked at the baguette. Then he looked at the chicken.
“Penny,” he said carefully, “chicken sandwiches are supposed to have chicken in them.”
“Of course!” said Penny. “That’s why I brought her!”
“No, I mean—”
The chicken laid an egg.
Penny squealed with delight.
“Oh, how lovely! She’s brought something for the picnic too!”
Nobody quite knew what to say after that.
They broke the baguette into pieces and passed them around. It wasn’t a particularly filling lunch, but the sun was warm, the flowers smelled lovely, and the chicken turned out to be very good company.
