The Little Red Hen
The little Red Hen finds a grain of wheat, but the Goose, the Cat and the Dog will not help her plant it, cut it, take it to the mill or bake the bread. When the bread is baked they all want to eat it, so she shares it with her chicks instead.
Scene 1: A Grain of Wheat
The Little Red Hen. The little Red Hen was in the farmyard with her chickens, when she found a grain of wheat. She said: “Who will plant this wheat?” The Goose said: “Not I.” The Cat said: “Not I.” The Dog said: “Not I.” The little Red Hen said: “I will, then.” And she planted the grain of wheat.
Scene 2: Yellow and Ripe
After a while, the wheat grew up tall, yellow and ripe. The little Red Hen asked: “The wheat is ripe now. Who will cut and thresh it?” The Goose said: “Not I.” The Cat said: “Not I.” The Dog said: “Not I.” The little Red Hen said: “I will, then.” So she cut it with her bill and threshed it with her wings.
Scene 3: To the Mill
Then she asked: “Who will take this wheat to the mill?” The Goose said: “Not I.” The Cat said: “Not I.” The Dog said: “Not I.” The little Red Hen said: “I will, then.” So she took the wheat to the mill, where it was ground into flour.
Scene 4: Bread for the Oven
When she brought the flour home, she said: “Who will make some bread with this flour?” The Goose said: “Not I.” The Cat said: “Not I.” The Dog said: “Not I.” The little Red Hen said: “I will, then.” So she made and baked the bread.
Scene 5: Who Will Eat This Bread?
When the bread was baked, a delicious smell filled the farmyard. The little Red Hen said: “Who will eat this bread?” The Goose said: “I will!” The Cat said: “I will!” The Dog said: “I will!” But the little Red Hen said: “No, you won’t. I shall eat it myself. Cluck! Cluck!”
Scene 6: Cluck, Cluck!
And she called her chickens to help her. They ate up all the bread. There was none left at all for the Goose, or the Cat, or the Dog. Those who will not help should not expect to share.
Moral: Those who will not help should not expect to share.
Questions about The Little Red Hen
What did the little Red Hen find in the farmyard?
A grain of wheat.
Who did the little Red Hen ask to help her?
The Goose, the Cat and the Dog.
How did she cut and thresh the wheat?
With her bill and her wings.
Where did she take the wheat to be ground into flour?
To the mill.
Who ate the bread in the end?
The little Red Hen and her chickens.
More stories to read aloud
- The Gingerbread Man — A little old woman bakes a boy of gingerbread, and he jumps out of the oven and runs away from everyone he meets.
- The Three Billy Goats Gruff — Three billy goats named Gruff must cross a bridge to reach the green hillside, but a great ugly Troll lives underneath and wants to gobble them up.
- The Lion and the Mouse — A Lion catches a little Mouse but laughs and lets her go when she promises to repay him.