The Painting

Over one hundred years ago, there lived a great painter. He painted pictures of Kings and Queens and beautiful landscapes, and his work was displayed all over the country.
One day he saw some hens scratching around for worms and decided to paint them. Unlike all the rich people that paid him to paint their portrait, the little hens lived a life of sadness, they hated the place where they lived, as they had no freedom to roam in the sunshine and dig for worms in the lush grass. He captured their image for ever in his painting as they struggled to find a morsel of food.
Because he was so famous, the painting was hung in all the famous art galleries and sold to wealthy art lovers for years, but everyone who owned it never knew that behind the painting, the little hens were so unhappy.
After several years, people's taste in art had changed, and the painting of the hens became less popular. It was soon discarded from the galleries and ended up in a boot sale where it was bought for a fraction of the price it was worth. The people who bought it, left it in an old coal house where it lay for the spiders to weave their webs around it, and just like the little hens - it was neglected once again.
Then one day, someone new moved into the house where the painting lay. The new occupants uncovered the painting and placed it outside in the garden, along with the rest of their belongings. When their back was turned something magical happened. The little hens came to life! They could see a beautiful garden and they could hear children laughing, and they wanted to be part of it!
Blodwyn, the bravest hen took a step forward. She escaped from the painting! At last she was on the other side!
Soon, the other hens followed her.
They found a lovely garden where they could play and dig for worms in the sunshine. At last they were happy and they were free.

The new owners came back to find the four little hens. They made them their own, never to return to their old life.

And the painting became just an empty frame to capture nature as it should be.