AustLit

This story tells the tale of orphans, Yukio and his sister Otomo, who live in 'old Japan'. One day a beautiful chicken hatches and is named Snowball by Yukio who looks after the young cockerel with great care and tenderness. However, when food is scarce Snowball leaves the children and flies away so that there will be more food for them. He is captured by the soldiers of a warlord who offers the bird to the emperor as a gift. Snowball is pampered and dressed in finery including precious jewels. Eventually he tires of this life and escapes his cage but loses his magnificent tail in the process. He flies home to the children and tells them of his life at the castle but suggests that "there are things more valuable than riches and precious stones". In an aside he points out that he still has two rings on his feet so they will be able to sell these for food when the winter comes.