The Little Red Hen

Once upon a time, in a cozy little farm surrounded by lush green fields and rolling hills, there lived a little Red Hen. She was a bright and cheerful hen, always bustling about with some new work to be done. The Little Red Hen lived with her friends: a lazy Dog, a sleepy Cat, and a blissfully oblivious Duck, who preferred the pond's cool water to any work that needed doing.

One fine spring morning, while scratching around in the barnyard, the Little Red Hen discovered some grains of wheat.

"Look what I've found!" she exclaimed joyfully. "These grains could be turned into fresh, delicious bread! But first, they need to be planted in the earth. Who will help me plant these grains of wheat?"

Not surprisingly, the Dog lay under a shady tree, yawning. “Not I,” said the Dog lazily, stretching out his legs.

The Cat stretched out on the sunlit rocks, her eyes half-closed. “Not I,” said the Cat, giving a small yawn.

The Duck splashed in the pond, flicking droplets of water with his wings. “Not I,” said the Duck, drifting contentedly in the water.

The Little Red Hen, although a little saddened by the lack of enthusiasm, was not discouraged. “Very well, then I will plant them myself,” said the Little Red Hen, and she did just that.

The days turned into weeks, and the seeds sprouted into small, tender shoots that reached for the sky. The Little Red Hen faithfully watered and weeded around them while her friends watched from their various restful spots.

When the wheat grew tall and golden, it was time to reap the harvest. “Who will help me cut the wheat?” the Little Red Hen asked hopefully.

“Not I,” said the Dog, rolling onto his back.

“Not I,” said the Cat, lazily batting at a butterfly.

“Not I,” said the Duck, splashing in the cool water.

“Very well, then I will cut it myself,” said the Little Red Hen, and she took a sickle and harvested the wheat all on her own.

The Little Red Hen then had a big mound of golden wheat. She knew it needed to be threshed to separate the grains from the chaff. “Who will help me thresh the wheat?” she asked, still hopeful.

“Not I,” said the Dog, who had found a comfy spot in the meadow.

“Not I,” said the Cat, dozing atop a stack of hay.

“Not I,” said the Duck, preening her feathers by the pond.

“Very well, then I will thresh it myself,” said the Little Red Hen, and she worked tirelessly to thresh the wheat.

Now that the wheat was threshed and grains were separated, the Little Red Hen needed to take the wheat to the mill to be ground into flour. “Who will help me carry the wheat to the mill?” she asked one last time.

“Not I,” said the Dog, becoming very interested in his own tail.

“Not I,” said the Cat, licking her paws methodically.

“Not I,” said the Duck, diving playfully in the pond.

“Very well, then I will carry it myself,” said the Little Red Hen, and she took the heavy sack of wheat and walked the long distance to the mill.

The miller, impressed by the Little Red Hen’s diligence, ground the wheat into the finest flour. The Hen thanked him and headed back to the farm, carrying the sack filled with fresh flour.

“Now, who will help me bake the bread?” asked the Little Red Hen, hoping that perhaps this time her friends would join her in the task.

“Not I,” said the Dog, sniffing at a patch of grass.

“Not I,” said the Cat, settling into a nap.

“Not I,” said the Duck, floating idly in the water.

“Very well, then I will bake it myself,” said the Little Red Hen, although this time, her voice had a hint of resolve.

She mixed the flour with yeast, water, and salt, kneading the dough until it was smooth and ready to rise. The farmhouse was filled with the wonderful aroma of fresh bread baking, a smell so enticing that the Dog, Cat, and Duck all gathered around the kitchen, noses twitching in anticipation.

The Little Red Hen finally took out the golden-brown loaf and placed it on the window sill to cool. The Dog, Cat, and Duck, who had been so lazy and unhelpful, were suddenly very interested.

“Who will help me eat this bread?” asked the Little Red Hen, her eyes twinkling as she looked at her friends.

“I will!” barked the Dog, wagging his tail eagerly.

“I will!” purred the Cat, licking her lips.

“I will!” quacked the Duck, flapping his wings excitedly.

The Little Red Hen shook her head in disappointment. “No, you will not,” she said firmly. “I did all the work by myself, and so I shall eat the bread by myself.”

And with that, the Little Red Hen sat down at her kitchen table and enjoyed her delicious bread, all alone. It was the tastiest bread she had ever eaten, baked to perfection by her own hardworking wings.

The Dog, Cat, and Duck watched her, feeling a bit of shame for how they had acted. They realized that they had missed out on not just the bread, but also the joy of working together and sharing the rewards afterward.

The next day, when the Little Red Hen found more grains of wheat, she decided to give her friends another chance. “Who will help me plant these grains of wheat?” she asked.

To her surprise, the Dog jumped up from his shady spot. “I will!” barked the Dog with enthusiasm.

The Cat stretched and stood up. “I will!” said the Cat, with a determined look in her eyes.

The Duck hopped out of the pond. “I will!” quacked the Duck, flapping his wings eagerly.

And so, the Little Red Hen, the Dog, the Cat, and the Duck worked together to plant the new grains of wheat. They watered the plants, weeded the rows, and watched the wheat grow tall and strong. When it was time to harvest, they all worked together, cutting and threshing the wheat, and carried it to the mill to be ground into flour.

Finally, as a team, they mixed, kneaded, and baked the bread. The farmhouse was once again filled with the delicious aroma of fresh bread baking, but this time, the smell signified more than just a tasty treat.

When the bread was ready, the Little Red Hen called out to her friends. “Who will help me eat this bread?”

“We will!” barked the Dog.

“We will!” purred the Cat.

“We will!” quacked the Duck.

The Little Red Hen smiled warmly. “We will eat it together,” she said, slicing the bread and sharing it with her friends.

Sitting around the kitchen table, the Dog, the Cat, the Duck, and the Little Red Hen enjoyed the fruits of their labor. Each bite tasted even better because it was flavored with the satisfaction of hard work and the joy of camaraderie.

From that day on, the barnyard friends understood the importance of working together and helping each other. They realized that hard work leads to sweet rewards, and the effort put into something is just as important as the outcome.

And so, whenever the Little Red Hen found new grains of wheat or any other task that needed doing, she was never alone. Her friends were always there, ready to help, and ready to share in the joy that came from their collective efforts.

This tale of the Little Red Hen teaches us all a valuable lesson: working hard and helping each other makes everything better, and the rewards are far richer when shared with friends.

Tuck in tight, little one, and let the night take you to dreams where friendships are forged through kindness and hard work.