The Little Red Hen
Once upon a time, on a faraway farm, a group of animals lived peacefully, until the wheat planting season came.
One day, the little red hen went out for a walk and saw a bag containing some grains of wheat. She took it to her friends, the cow, the horse, and the cat.
She asked them, “Who will help me plant these grains?”
The horse said, “I am very tired. Sorry, I will not be able to help you today.”
The cow said, “Please excuse me, I have a special task to do today.”
The cat said, “I couldn’t sleep last night, maybe later.”
The little red hen said, “It’s okay, I will plant the wheat grains myself.”
Planting the Wheat
The hen started by ploughing the land, then she threw the grains, and finally she watered them.
The little red hen continued to care for the wheat plants until they grew and were ready for harvest. Then she went to her friends and asked them to help her harvest the wheat.
The horse said, “I’m sorry, I’m not the right one.”
The cow said, “I can’t help you, I’m sorry about that.”
The cat said, “No, I won’t. I want to sleep a little.”
Harvest Time
The little red hen decided to do the work alone. She took her sickle and began harvesting the wheat. Then she beat the wheat until she separated the grains from the ears, and finally she collected the wheat grains into sacks.
Shortly before winter arrived, the little red hen went to ask her friends for help grinding the grain, but the answer surprised her.
The horse said, “I won’t do that. I’m too tired. I want to take a nap.”
The cow said, “It wasn’t me.”
The cat said, “I’m tired of you asking for help.”
Making the Bread
The little red hen was very disappointed, so she put the sacks of wheat on the cart, took them to the mill, and came home safely.
The little red hen decided to give her lazy friends one last chance. She went to them and asked them to help her prepare the bread.
The horse said, “I won’t do that.”
The cow said, “I don’t have time.”
The cat said, “No, I’m very tired.”
The little red hen mixed the flour with water, some oil, and the right amount of salt. Then she kneaded the dough and lit the oven to bake the bread.
The Lesson of the Little Red Hen
The horse, the cow, and the cat smelled the fresh, hot bread. They went to find the source of the delicious smell and found the little red hen taking the hot bread out of the oven.
She said to them, “Who among you will help me eat this delicious bread?”
The horse said, “I would be honoured to do so.”
The cow said, “This would be my pleasure.”
The cat said, “Of course I will.”
As saliva dripped from their mouths, the little red hen said, “No one will do that. I planted the wheat, harvested it, ground it, and made the bread all by myself. You all refused to help me, so I will enjoy the reward alone.”
The three animals realised their mistake and understood that their laziness was the reason they could not eat the hot bread.
The Arrival of Winter and the Search for Food
Suddenly, a strong wind hit the door, and clouds gathered in the sky, announcing the arrival of winter. The three animals went out to look for food, while the little red hen ate the hot bread alone in her warm house.