Why Can’t I Fly?
- a Dolch Word Reader for EFL/ESL Young Learners-
by Jason D. Renshaw
c 2004 www. Englishraven.com
Little Yellow Chicken was SAD.
“I am a bird,” she said.
“So why can’t I fly?
I want to FLY!
Why oh why can’t I fly?”
Little Yellow Chicken lived on a farm.
She wanted to know why she couldn’t fly.
So she went to ask the other animals.
First she went to see BIG BROWN COW…
“Hello Big Brown Cow,” said Little Yellow Chicken.
“I am a bird, but I can’t FLY!”
“I don’t know,” said Big Brown Cow.
“You can’t fly, but you can JUMP!
I can’t do that!”
“Yes, I can jump,” said Little Yellow Chicken.
“But I want to FLY!
Why oh why can’t I fly?”
“Maybe you should ask Fat Pink Pig,”
said Big Brown Cow.
So she went to see FAT PINK PIG…
“Hello Fat Pink Pig,” said Little Yellow Chicken.
“I am a bird, but I can’t fly.
Big Brown Cow doesn’t know why.
Please tell me why I can’t FLY!”
“I don’t know, said Fat Pink Pig.
“You can’t fly, but you can PECK!
I can’t do that!”
“Yes, I can peck,” said Little Yellow Chicken.
“But I want to FLY!
Why oh why can’t I fly?”
“Maybe you should ask Big Black Horse,”
said Fat Pink Pig.
So she went to see BIG BLACK HORSE…
“Hello Big Black Horse’” said Little Yellow chicken.
“I am a bird, but I can’t fly.
Big Brown Cow doesn’t know why.
Even Fat Pink Pig doesn’t know why.
Please tell me why I can’t FLY!”
“I don’t know,” said Big Black Horse.
“You can’t fly, but you can live in a SMALL HOUSE!
I can’t do that!”
“Yes, yes, I can live in a small house,”
said Little Yellow Chicken.
“But I want to FLY!
Why oh why can’t I fly?”
“Maybe you should ask Wooly White Sheep,”
said Big Black Horse.
So she went to see WOOLY WHITE SHEEP…
“Hello Wooly White Sheep,” said Little Yellow Chicken.
“I am a bird, but I can’t fly.
Big Brown Cow doesn’t know why.
Fat Pink Pig doesn’t know why.
Even Big Black Horse doesn’t know why.
Please tell me why I can’t FLY!”
“I don’t know,” said Wooly White Sheep.
“You can’t fly, but when you grow up, you can lay EGGS!
I can’t do that!”
“Yes, yes, yes, when I grow up I can lay eggs,”
said Little Yellow Chicken.
“But I want to FLY!”
Why oh why can’t I fly?”
“Maybe you should ask your mom, Clever Mother Hen,”
said Wooly White Sheep.
So she went to see her mom, CLEVER MOTHER HEN…
“Hello Clever Mother Hen,” said Little Yellow chicken.
“We are birds, but we can’t fly.
Big Brown Cow doesn’t know why.
Fat Pink Pig doesn’t know why.
Big Black Horse doesn’t know why.
Even Wooly White Sheep doesn’t know why.
Please tell me why I can’t FLY!”
“I know why,” said Clever Mother Hen.
“We are CHICKENS, and chickens CAN’T FLY!
Not ALL birds can fly, you see.”
Little Yellow Chicken began to cry.
She was sadder than ever!
“Don’t cry,” said Clever Mother Hen.
“Why don’t you think about all the things you CAN do?”
That night, before she went to sleep,
Little Yellow Chicken thought LONG and HARD.
She thought about Big Brown Cow,
Who couldn’t JUMP.
She thought about Fat Pink Pig.
Who couldn’t PECK.
She yought about Big Black Horse,
Who coudnlt’ live in a SMALL HOUSE.
She tought about Wooly White Sheep,
Who couldn’t lay EGGS.
She even thought about Clever Mother Hen,
who couldn’t FLY, and wasn’t sad at all!
Then little Yellow Chicken went to sleep…
The next day, Little Yellow Chicken felt different.
She wasn’t sad. She was HAPPY!
“I can JUMP,” she said.
“And I can PECK!
And I can live in a SMALL HOUSE!
And when I grow up, I can lay EGGS!”
So, how many animals can do ALL of those things?
Not many!
Then Little Yellow Chicken felt very luck indeed.
And she never thought about flying ever again.
