STORY 5
LOOK AFTER YOURSELFTherapeutic Characteristics
Problems Addressed
■ Unrealistic wishful thinking
■ Dependence on others to satisfy our needs
■ Lack of self-initiativeResources Developed
■ Observing what successful others do
■ Building your own skills
■ Learning to be more self-reliant
■ Taking responsibility for your own needsOutcomes Offered
■ Doing rather than wishing
■ Greater independence
■ Personal responsibility
Have you heard the story about the five little chickens? Well, once upon a time there were five
little chickens who lived with Daddy Rooster and Mommy Hen. One morning the five little chick-
ens woke up feeling hungry, like most of us do first thing in the morning or when we get home from
school in the afternoon.
The first one said, “I’m starving. I wish someone would give me a big fat worm.” He began to
dream about the big fat worm, was longing to peck it up in his beak and feel it slithering into his
stomach, as I guess you would if you were a hungry little chicken. Not quite what I would prefer for
breakfast! What about you?
No matter how much the first little chicken wished someone would give him a big fat worm,
however, no worm arrived and the hungrier he felt.
The second little chicken also felt hungry and, hearing her brother talk about a big fat worm,
said, “I’m famished, too. I wish there was a big fat slug slithering along here in front of me right now.”
She looked at the ground in anticipation. She looked and looked... and grew even hungrier.
The third little chicken felt as hungry as his brother and sister. “Cheep, cheep,” he called out,
hoping someone would hear. “I wish the farmer would bring us a big bowl of those yummy chicken
pellets that he sometimes delivers.” With that thought in his head he stood watching the gate into the
coop, hoping and hoping the farmer would appear... and feeling hungrier as he did.
“Or,” said the fourth, joining in the wishes of her brothers and sister, “that the farmer’s wife
would bring out one of those big bowls of food scraps from last night’s dinner, as she often does.” Like
her brother, she stood watching the gate into the coop, wishing and wishing for a big bowl of
scraps... and growing hungrier.
All this talk about food had the fifth chicken feeling so ravenously hungry he thought he was go-
ing to faint. “What I wouldn’t give for a big bowl of crunchy grain,” he added. “I wish I had some
52 Healing Stories, Teaching Stories