The Little Red Hen
an English folk tale
One day the Little Red Hen was scratching in the farmyard, when she
found a grain of wheat.
“Who will plant the wheat?” said she.
“Not I,” said the duck.
“Not I,” said the cat.
“Not I,” said the dog.
“Very well then,” said the Little Red Hen, “I will.” So she planted the
grain of wheat.
After some time the wheat grew tall and ripe.
“Who will cut the wheat?” asked the Little Red Hen.
“Not I,” said the duck.
“Not I,” said the cat.
“Not I,” said the dog.
“Very well then, I will,” said the Little Red Hen. So she cut the wheat.
“Now,” she said, “who will thresh the wheat?”
“Not I,” said the duck.
“Not I,” said the cat.
“Not I,” said the dog.
“Very well then, I will,” said the Little Red Hen. So she threshed the
wheat.
When the wheat was threshed, she said, “Who will take the wheat to the
mill to have it ground into flour?”
“Not I,” said the duck.
“Not I,” said the cat.
“Not I,” said the dog.
“Very well then, I will,” said the Little Red Hen. So she took the wheat
to the mill.
When the wheat was ground into flour, she said, “Who will make this
flour into bread?”
“Not I,” said the duck.
“Not I,” said the cat.
“Not I,” said the dog.
“Very well then, I will,” said the Little Red Hen, and she baked a
lovely loaf of bread.
Then she said, “Who will eat the bread?”
“Oh! I will,” said the duck.
“Oh! I will,” said the cat.
“Oh! I will,” said the dog.
“Oh, no you won’t!” said the Little Red Hen. “I will.”
And she called her chicks and shared the bread with them.
