The Story of the Little Red Hen
Reference: 280A
About twenty-five years ago my mother told me the story of the little red hen. She told it often to me at that time; but I have never heard it since. So I shall try to tell it to you now from memory:
There was once a little red hen. She was scratching near the barn one day, when she found a grain of wheat.
She said, "Who will plant this wheat?"
The rat said, "I won't." The cat said, "I won't." The dog said, "I won't." The duck said, "I won't." And the pig said, "I won't."
The little red hen said, "I will, then."
So she planted the grain of wheat. After the wheat grew up and was ripe, the little red hen said, "Who will reap this wheat?"
The rat said, "I won't." The cat said, "I won't." The dog said, "I won't." The duck said, "I won't." And the pig said, "I won't."
The little red hen said, "I will, then."
So she reaped the wheat. Then she said, "Who will take this wheat to mill to be ground into flour?"
The rat said, "I won't." The cat said, "I won't." The dog said, "I won't." The duck said, "I won't." And the pig said, "I won't."
The little red hen said, "I will, then."
So she took the wheat to mill. When she came back with the flour, she said, "Who will make this into bread?"
The rat said, "I won't." The cat said, "I won't." The dog said, "I won't." The duck said, "I won't." And the pig said, "I won't."
The little red hen said, "I will, then."
So she made it into bread. Then she said, "Who will bake this bread?"
The rat said, "I won't." The cat said, "I won't." The dog said, "I won't." The duck said, "I won't." And the pig said, "I won't."
The little red hen said, "I will, then."
When the bread was baked, the little red hen said, "Who will eat this bread?"
The rat said, "I WILL." The cat said, "I WILL." The dog said, "I WILL." The duck said, "I WILL." And the pig said, "I WILL."
The little red hen said, "No, you WON'T, for I am going to do that myself."
And she picked up the bread and ran off with it.
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