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The Little Red Hen

A little red hen makes bread alone after her friends refuse to help, then eats it without them.
Responsibility
Perseverance
Consequences
The Little Red Hen
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, in a sunny farmyard, there lived a little red hen. She was very active and always busy. One sunny morning, she found some wheat seeds on the ground. She thought it would be a great idea to plant them, so she went to her friends, the cat, the rat, and the goose, and asked, "Who will help me plant these seeds?"

"Not I!" said the cat.

"Not I!" said the rat.

"Not I!" said the goose.

"Then I will do it myself!" declared the little red hen, and she planted the seeds on her own.

As the days went by, the wheat grew tall and golden. The little red hen needed help again and went to her friends, asking, "Who will help me cut the wheat?"

"Not I!" said the rat, playing in the sunny dirt.

"Not I!" said the cat, relaxing in the shade.

"Not I!" said the goose, swimming in the pond.

"Then I will!" she said, and she cut the wheat and separated the grains with her wings.

When it was time to turn the wheat into flour, the little red hen asked her friends again, "Who will help me take the wheat to the mill?"

"Not I!" they all said.

Undaunted, the little red hen took the wheat to the mill herself, had it ground into flour, and carried the heavy bag back home.

Now it was time to bake the bread. She asked her friends, "Who will help me bake the bread?"

"Not I!" they all replied.

So, she baked the bread herself. When the wonderful smell of warm bread filled the air, she asked one last time, "Who will help me eat this bread?"

"I will!" exclaimed the cat.

"I will!" cried the rat.

"I will!" shouted the goose.

But the little red hen shook her head and said, "You did not help me plant the seeds, cut the wheat, mill the flour, or bake the bread. You were all too busy to help, so now you shall be too busy to eat."

And so, the little red hen enjoyed the fresh, delicious bread with her chicks, leaving none for her lazy friends, who looked on longingly as she and her chicks enjoyed their feast in the warm afternoon sun.

In a sunny farmyard, there is a little red hen. She is very busy. One morning, she finds some wheat seeds on the ground. She wants to plant them. She goes to her friends, the cat, the rat, and the goose, and asks, "Who will help me plant these seeds?"

"Not I!" says the cat.

"Not I!" says the rat.

"Not I!" says the goose.

"Then I will do it myself," says the little red hen. She plants the seeds alone.

The wheat grows tall and yellow. The little red hen needs help again. She goes to her friends and asks, "Who will help me cut the wheat?"

"Not I!" says the rat.

"Not I!" says the cat.

"Not I!" says the goose.

"Then I will!" she says. She cuts the wheat alone.

Now, the wheat needs to be made into flour. The little red hen asks her friends again, "Who will help me take the wheat to the mill?"

"Not I!" they all say.

The little red hen takes the wheat to the mill herself. She grinds it into flour and carries the heavy bag back home.

It is time to bake the bread. She asks her friends, "Who will help me bake the bread?"

"Not I!" they all say.

So, she bakes the bread herself. When the bread is ready, she asks one last time, "Who will help me eat this bread?"

"I will!" says the cat.

"I will!" says the rat.

"I will!" says the goose.

But the little red hen shakes her head and says, "You did not help me plant the seeds, cut the wheat, take the flour to the mill, or bake the bread. So, you will not eat the bread."

The little red hen and her chicks eat the bread. It is fresh and tasty. Her friends watch and feel sad because they did not help.

Once upon a time, in a sunny farmyard, there lived a little red hen. She was very active and always busy. One sunny morning, she found some wheat seeds on the ground. She thought it would be a great idea to plant them. She went to her friends, the cat, the rat, and the goose, and asked, "Who will help me plant these seeds?"

"Not I!" said the cat.

"Not I!" said the rat.

"Not I!" said the goose.

"Then I will do it myself!" said the little red hen, and she planted the seeds on her own.

As the days went by, the wheat grew tall and golden. The little red hen needed help again. She went to her friends and asked, "Who will help me cut the wheat?"

"Not I!" said the rat, playing in the dirt.

"Not I!" said the cat, relaxing in the shade.

"Not I!" said the goose, swimming in the pond.

"Then I will!" she said. She cut the wheat and separated the grains with her wings.

When it was time to turn the wheat into flour, the little red hen asked her friends again, "Who will help me take the wheat to the mill?"

"Not I!" they all said.

The little red hen took the wheat to the mill herself. She had it ground into flour and carried the heavy bag back home.

Now it was time to bake the bread. She asked her friends, "Who will help me bake the bread?"

"Not I!" they all replied.

So, she baked the bread herself. When the wonderful smell of warm bread filled the air, she asked one last time, "Who will help me eat this bread?"

"I will!" said the cat.

"I will!" said the rat.

"I will!" said the goose.

But the little red hen shook her head and said, "You did not help me plant the seeds, cut the wheat, take the flour to the mill, or bake the bread. You were all too busy to help, so now you shall be too busy to eat."

So, the little red hen enjoyed the fresh, delicious bread with her chicks. Her lazy friends looked on sadly as she and her chicks enjoyed their meal in the warm afternoon sun.

Once upon a time, in a lively farmyard that was always buzzing like a carnival, there lived a little red hen. She was as peppy as a puppy during playtime! One bright, sunny morning, she found some wheat seeds on the ground, shining like tiny treasures. An idea popped into her head, and she thought, "Oh, let’s turn these tiny treasures into a big bread party!"

So, she waddled over to her friends—the sleepy cat, the sneaky rat, and the playful goose. With a twinkle in her eye, she asked, "Who wants to play farmer and help me plant these seeds?"

"Not I!" yawned the cat, who was perfecting his sunbathing.

"Not I!" squeaked the rat, who was too busy pretending to be a pirate.

"Not I!" quacked the goose, who was having too much fun pretending the pond was a giant bathtub.

"Well, looks like it’s just me then!" said the little red hen, puffing up her feathers as if she was putting on a superhero cape.

As time zoomed by, the wheat grew tall and golden like rays of sunshine. Seeing another chance for fun, the little red hen hopped back to her pals. "Who’s ready for a cutting party and will help me chop this wheat?"

"Not I!" giggled the rat, now looking like a chocolate chip cookie from all the dirt.

"Not I!" purred the cat, who had now started a nap marathon.

"Not I!" hooted the goose, still playing in the water like a little boat.

"Guess it’s just me again!" declared the hen, and she chopped the wheat like a tiny, fluffy warrior.

Then came milling time. Our hen, still hopeful, asked her friends once more, "Who’s up for a trip to the mill to turn this wheat into flour?"

"Not I!" they all sang, too wrapped up in their fun and games.

"So, it’s a one-hen show!" she chuckled as she trotted off to the mill, turning those grains into fluffy white flour all by herself.

Now, it was bread-making time! The kitchen was about to smell amazing. She asked once more, "Who wants to help me bake this bread and fill the air with yummy smells?"

"Not I!" echoed her friends, louder than a drum band.

"Okay, baker hen is on the job!" she laughed, and she baked the bread into golden, delicious loaves.

When the smell of warm bread wafted through the air like the best hug ever, the little red hen had one last question. "Who wants to help me eat this bread, which smells yummier than a birthday cake?"

"I will!" jumped the cat.

"I will!" darted the rat.

"I will!" splashed the goose.

But the little red hen, with a wise shake of her head, said, "Oh, my dear napping, pirate-playing, boat-sailing pals, when it was time to work, you were all too busy. So now, you’re all just too busy to eat!"

With that, she shared the tasty bread with her chicks, who peeped and munched under the warm afternoon sun. The cat, the rat, and the goose could only watch, their mouths watering, as the hen and her little ones enjoyed their well-deserved feast. They definitely learned that next time, it might just be worth joining in the fun!

On a bright and bustling day,
Little Red Hen found seeds along her way.
She fluttered to her friends with glee,
"Who will plant these seeds with me?"

"Not I!" said Cat with a lazy spin.
"Not I!" said Rat with a cheeky grin.
"Not I!" said Goose, loose by the lake,
So Hen, alone, her garden did make.

The wheat sprouted high, waving gold and tall,
Hen needed help, her friends she did call.
"Who will help me harvest, please?"
But Cat, Rat, and Goose just teased.

"Not I!" from the shade where Cat did lay.
"Not I!" Rat chuckled, in dirt at play.
"Not I!" Goose honked, swimming in a loop,
So Hen swung her beak, reaping the troop.

Now, milling time, to the mill she'd go,
Hen asked for help, but her friends said, "No!"
So off she went, the flour to grind,
Leaving her friends quite far behind.

The bread to bake, Hen asked once more,
Her friends replied as they did before.
So Hen baked bread, the aroma spread wide,
When it came to eat, her friends replied:

"I will!" said Cat, no longer still.
"I will!" said Rat, feeling the thrill.
"I will!" Goose chimed, from her watery track,
But Hen clucked, "No, you didn’t help, step back."

She feasted with chicks, under sun’s warm glow,
Her friends could only watch, their faces low.
For those who share in the work, delight,
Enjoy the feast from morning to night.

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Word Finder

  1. Wheat

    Plant seeds used to make bread flour.

  2. Plant

    Put seeds in the ground to grow.

  3. Flour

    White powder made from wheat for baking.

  4. Mill

    Place where wheat is made into flour.

  5. Grinds

    Crushes something into small pieces or powder.

  6. Bakes

    Cooks food in an oven with heat.

  7. Fresh

    Just made or new and not old.

  8. Tasty

    Has a good flavor or taste when eaten.

  9. Chicks

    Baby chickens that are very small.

  10. Alone

    Without anyone else helping or being with.

  1. Farmyard

    Area of farm with buildings, animals.

  2. Active

    Always doing something; not lazy.

  3. Seeds

    Small parts of plants that grow new plants.

  4. Plant

    To put seeds in the ground to grow.

  5. Separating

    Taking apart different parts of something.

  6. Flour

    Powder made by grinding wheat grains.

  7. Mill

    A place where grains are made into flour.

  8. Ground

    Made into small pieces by crushing.

  9. Baked

    Cooked in an oven, especially bread or cake.

  10. Delicious

    Very tasty; pleasant to eat.

Understanding Questions

  1. What does the little red hen find on the ground?

    1. Corn
    2. Wheat seeds
    3. Flowers
    4. Bread
  2. Who helps the little red hen plant the seeds?

    1. The cat
    2. The rat
    3. The goose
    4. No one
  3. What does the little red hen do after the wheat grows tall and yellow?

    1. Eats the wheat
    2. Cuts the wheat
    3. Throws the wheat away
    4. Sells the wheat
  4. What does the little red hen do with the wheat at the mill?

    1. Sells it
    2. Makes it into bread
    3. Grinds it into flour
    4. Throws it away
  5. Who eats the bread in the end?

    1. The cat, the rat, and the goose
    2. The little red hen and her chicks
    3. All the animals
    4. No one
  1. What did the little red hen find on the ground at the beginning of the story?
  2. How did the cat, rat, and goose respond when the little red hen asked for help planting the seeds?
  3. What did the little red hen do after the wheat grew tall and golden?
  4. Why did the little red hen have to take the wheat to the mill by herself?
  5. What was the reaction of the cat, rat, and goose when the little red hen asked who would help eat the bread?
  1. What was the little red hen's reaction when her friends refused to help her plant the wheat seeds?
  2. How did the little red hen manage the tasks of planting, harvesting, and grinding the wheat?
  3. Why did the little red hen's friends decide they wanted to help eat the bread but not participate in its preparation?
  4. What lesson did the little red hen teach her friends by not sharing the bread with them?
  5. Describe the sequence of events that led to the little red hen enjoying the bread with her chicks alone.

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the little red hen decided to do all the work by herself?
  2. How do you feel about the responses from the cat, the rat, and the goose when asked to help?
  3. What can this story teach us about the value of hard work and self-reliance?
  4. Why do you think the little red hen did not share the bread with her friends in the end?
  5. Can you think of a time when you worked hard on something and it paid off? How did it make you feel?

Fable Quotes

Every task needs willing hands.
Never give up, for every effort brings its reward.
Actions decide who gets the rewards.
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