The Little Red Hen

Once upon a time, in a small, cosy farm nestled in a sunny meadow, there lived a little red hen. She was known throughout the farm for her hardworking nature, her small size, and her bright red feathers that shone like fire in the sun. She lived with a lazy dog, a sleepy cat, and a noisy duck. These three animals were content to relax and nap all day, while the little red hen went about her work, tending to the garden and making sure everything on the farm was in order.

One fine spring morning, the little red hen was out pecking around the garden when she came across some grains of wheat. Excited by the find, she picked them up and thought to herself, “I’ll plant these and grow some wheat. I could make a lovely loaf of bread!”

So, the little red hen waddled over to the lazy dog, who was napping under the tree, and asked, “Who will help me plant these grains of wheat?”

The dog opened one eye, glanced at her, and then yawned. “Not I,” he said, rolling over to go back to sleep.

The little red hen wasn’t discouraged. She walked over to the sleepy cat, who was lounging in the sun, and asked again, “Who will help me plant these grains of wheat?”

The cat stretched lazily and purred, “Not I,” before curling up into a ball and closing her eyes.

Undeterred, the little red hen turned to the noisy duck, who was swimming in the pond, and asked, “Who will help me plant these grains of wheat?”

The duck quacked loudly and flapped his wings, “Not I,” and continued swimming around in circles.

The little red hen sighed but didn’t let it stop her. She knew she would have to do the work herself. So, she dug the soil, planted the wheat, and watered it with care. Days passed, and the wheat began to sprout, growing tall and strong.

After a while, the wheat was ready to be harvested. The little red hen looked at her crop, pleased with her hard work. She once again went to the lazy dog, the sleepy cat, and the noisy duck.

“Who will help me harvest the wheat?” she asked.

The dog stretched and yawned, “Not I.”

The cat blinked lazily and shook her head, “Not I.”

The duck quacked, “Not I.”

The little red hen felt a little frustrated but didn’t let it stop her. “I will harvest the wheat myself,” she said firmly. And so, she worked diligently, cutting the wheat stalks and gathering them into neat bundles.

Once the wheat was harvested, the little red hen knew it had to be milled into flour. She carried the bundles to the mill, but once again, she knew she couldn’t do it alone. She turned to the lazy dog, the sleepy cat, and the noisy duck.

“Who will help me mill this wheat into flour?” she asked.

The dog, still resting in the shade, replied, “Not I.”

The cat, now dozing in the barn, meowed sleepily, “Not I.”

The duck, waddling around the pond, quacked, “Not I.”

The little red hen shook her head but smiled. She had learned to expect nothing from the others. “I will mill the wheat into flour myself,” she said. And so, she ground the wheat into fine flour at the mill.

With the flour ready, the little red hen went home and began to bake the bread. The scent of fresh, warm bread filled the air, making everyone in the farm salivate with hunger. As the little red hen kneaded the dough, shaped it into loaves, and placed them in the oven, she knew the hard work would soon pay off.

The dog, the cat, and the duck all smelled the delicious aroma of the baking bread and suddenly, they were very interested. They gathered around the little red hen, who was busy preparing the final touches.

Finally, when the bread was golden brown and perfectly baked, the little red hen took the loaves out of the oven, their crisp crusts crackling in the cool air. She set them on the table to cool, and the dog, the cat, and the duck couldn’t wait any longer.

“Little red hen,” said the dog, “we’ve all been thinking. You did all the hard work, but now that the bread is baked, will you share it with us?”

The little red hen looked at them all with a stern but thoughtful expression. She had worked tirelessly from start to finish, while the others had done nothing to help. “I worked hard to plant, harvest, mill, and bake this bread,” she said. “And now that it’s ready, I think I should be the one to enjoy it.”

The dog, cat, and duck all looked at each other, disappointed, but they couldn’t argue. They hadn’t done any work, after all. The little red hen smiled, picked up the loaf of bread, and began to eat it, savoring every bite.

The dog, cat, and duck watched, their mouths watering, but there was nothing they could do. The little red hen had earned the bread through her hard work, and now she was enjoying the fruits of her labor.

From that day on, the dog, the cat, and the duck learned an important lesson. They realized that if they wanted to enjoy the rewards of hard work, they had to put in the effort themselves. And though they never became as industrious as the little red hen, they did start to help out around the farm more, lending a paw, claw, or wing when needed.

As for the little red hen, she continued to work hard, always ensuring that everything on the farm ran smoothly. She was happy knowing that, in the end, hard work and perseverance always paid off, and that the rewards were even sweeter when earned.