The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred

The idea for "The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred" popped into my head one morning while making pancakes. Lacking two ingredients, I thought how much more fun it would be if I was a farm maiden living on a farm and the cow was kind enough to provide a cup of fresh milk and the hen offered an egg. I had a pot on the stove and I thought of the line, "This is the pot that the farm maiden stirred." I liked the words and the rhythm reminded me of the familiar British nursery rhyme, "The House That Jack Built." Like the nursery rhyme, "The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred" is a cumulative tale in which the action and dialogue build as a few Spanish words repeat. I never finished making pancakes that morning, but I did manage to write a first draft of my story!