The Little Red Hen

(A Golden Book, New York) Western Publishing Company, Inc, Racine, WI 53404

Once there was a Little Red Hen who lived in a barnyard with her three chicks and a duck, a pig and a cat.

One day the Little Red Hen and her chicks found some grains of wheat. "Look look!" she clucked. "Who will help us plant this wheat?"

"Not I", quaked the duck, and he waddled away.

"Not I", oinked the pig, and he trotted away.

"Not I, meowed the cat, and he padded away.

"Then We will plant it ourselves," said the Little Red Hen. And they did.

When the wheat was tall and golden, the Little Red Hen knew it was ready to be cut. "Who will help us cut the wheat?" she asked.

"Not I," said the duck.

"Not I," said the pig.

"Not I," said the cat

"Then we will cut this wheat ourselves". And they did.

"Now", said the Little Red Hen, "it is time to take the wheat to the miller so he can grind it into flour. Who will help us?"

"Not I," said the duck.

"Not I," said the pig.

"Not I," said the cat.

"Then we will take the wheat to the miller ourselves," said the Little Red Hen. And they did.

The miller ground the wheat into fine white flour and put it into a sack for the Little Red Hen and her Chicks.

When she returned to the barnyard, the Little Red Hen asked, "Who will help us make this flour into dough?"

Not I," said the duck, the pig and the cat all at once.

"Then we will make the dough ourselves," said the Little Red Hen. And they did.

When the dough was ready to go into the oven, the Little Red Hen asked, "Who will help us bake the bread?"

"Not I," said the duck.

"Not I," said the pig.

"Not I," said the cat.

"Then we will bake it ourselves," said the Little Red Hen. And they did.

Soon the bread was ready. As she took it from the oven, the Little Red Hen asked, "Well who will help eat this warm, fresh bread?"

"I will," said the duck.

"I will," said the pig.

"I will," said the cat.

"No you won't," said the Little Red Hen. "You wouldn't help me plant the seeds, cut the wheat, go to the miller, make the dough or bake the bread. Now, my three chicks and I will eat this bread ourselves!"

And that's just what they did.