“The snake bit the chicken and, with the poison burning inside her, she sought refuge in the chicken coop.
But the other chickens decided to chase her away, fearing that the poison could infect them.
The chicken limped away, crying. Not because of the pain of the bite, but because of the abandonment and contempt of her own family, just when she needed them most.
So she walked away… feverish, dragging an injured leg, exposed to the cold of the night.
At every step, a tear ran down her face.
The chickens who remained in the chicken coop watched her go, until she disappeared over the horizon. Some commented:
— Let her go… She will die far away from us.
When the chicken vanished into the immensity of the landscape, they were all sure that she was dead.
Some even started looking up at the sky, expecting to see crows in flight.
Time passed.
A long time later, a hummingbird came to the henhouse with news:
— Your sister is still alive! She lives in a cave far away. She survived, but lost a leg to a snake bite.
She is struggling to find food and needs your help.
A long silence followed. Then the excuses began:
— I can’t go, I’m laying eggs…
— I can’t go, I have to look for corn…
— I can’t go, I have to look after my chicks…
One after another, they all refused to help her. The hummingbird returned to the cave without any support.
More time passed.
A long time later, the hummingbird returned with even sadder news:
— Your sister is dead… She went alone, into the cave. There is no one to bury her or mourn her.
At that moment, a deep weight fell on them all. A wail filled the henhouse.
Those who laid eggs stopped doing so.
Those who looked for corn dropped the kernels.
Those who looked after the chicks forgot about them for a moment.
Remorse burned more than any poison. Why didn’t we go sooner?, they wondered.
And, regardless of the distance or the effort, they all set off towards the cave, crying and despairing. Now, yes, they had a reason to look for her, but by then it was too late.
When they reached the cave, they didn’t find the hen. They only found a letter that said:
“In life, people often don’t take a single step to help you when you’re alive, but they travel infinite distances to bury you when you die.
And most tears at funerals are not shed out of grief, but out of remorse and regret.”