There once was a little red hen who lived on a farm. A rooster, a cow, a duck, and a pig were on this farm with the little red hen. One day, the little red hen found a grain of wheat.
“Will y’all help me sow this wheat?” she asked the other animals.
“I can’t,” said the rooster. “I’m busy crowing.”
“Not I,” the cow said. “This grass isn’t going to eat itself.”
“Don’t ask me, “ said the duck. “I’m taking flying lessons.”
“Don’t look at me,” said the pig. “I’m busy playing in the mud.”
So the little red hen sowed the wheat herself.
When the wheat was ready for harvest and had grown tall, the little red hen said, “Will y’all help me harvest the wheat?”
“I can’t,” said the rooster. “I’m busy crowing.”
“Not I,” the cow said. “This grass isn’t going to eat itself.”
“Don’t ask me, “ said the duck. “I’m taking flying lessons.”
“Don’t look at me,” said the pig. “I’m busy playing in the mud.”
So the little red hen harvested the wheat herself.
The little red hen completed the winnowing of the wheat; she said, “Will y’all help me grind the wheat into flour?”
“I can’t,” said the rooster. “I’m busy crowing.”
“Not I,” the cow said. “This grass isn’t going to eat itself.”
“Don’t ask me, “ said the duck. “I’m taking flying lessons.”
“Don’t look at me,” said the pig. “I’m busy playing in the mud.”
So the little red hen ground the wheat into flour by herself.
When it was time to make the dough for the bread, the little red hen asked, “Will y’all help me make the bread?”
“I can’t,” said the rooster. “I’m busy crowing.”
“Not I,” the cow said. “This grass isn’t going to eat itself.”
“Don’t ask me, “ said the duck. “I’m taking flying lessons.”
“Don’t look at me,” said the pig. “I’m busy playing in the mud.”
So the poor little red hen made the bread dough all by herself.
Once the little red hen had made the flour into dough, the little red hen said, “Will y’all help me bake the bread?”
“I can’t,” said the rooster. “I’m busy crowing.”
“Not I,” the cow said. “This grass isn’t going to eat itself.”
“Don’t ask me, “ said the duck. “I’m taking flying lessons.”
“Don’t look at me,” said the pig. “I’m busy playing in the mud.”
So the busy little red hen baked the bread all by herself.
When the little red hen took the bread out of the oven, she asked, “I suppose y’all will help me eat this bread?”
“I can!” shouted the rooster.
“I shall!!” yelled the cow.
“I will!!!” cried the duck.
“You bet I will!!!!” called the pig.
The little red hen laughed and held the bread away from the other animals. Then shaking her feathery head and laughed even harder. Then she said, “I don’t think y’all will help me eat this warm bread.”
This statement from the little red hen angered the other animals to no end.
“Yes, I can!” shouted the rooster.
“Yes, I shall!!” yelled the cow.
“Yes, I will!!!” cried the duck.
“You bet I will!!!!” called the pig.
Then all four jumped the hen. They beat the little red hen up. They kicked the little red hen. They pecked the little red hen. They took the little red hen’s bread away.
“I’m eating bread,” said the rooster.
“I’ve got some bread,” said the cow.
“This bread is so good,” said the duck.
“I got mud on my piece," snorted the pig happily.
The poor little red hen didn’t get any bread at all.
She should have just shared it in the first place.
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Comments (1)
LMAO… oh my. 🤣 I used to have the “Little Golden Book” of this story as a child. I like your retelling.