In a sunny farmyard, there lived a Little Red Hen. She found some wheat grains one day and had an idea. “Who will help me plant these grains?” she asked.
The cat, lounging in the shade, replied lazily, “Not I.”
The dog, napping nearby, muttered, “Not I.”
And the duck, swimming in the pond, quacked, “Not I.”
The Little Red Hen declared, “Then I will do it myself.” And she did. She planted the grains and watched them grow tall.
Time passed, and the wheat was ready to be harvested. Again, the Little Red Hen asked, “Who will help me cut the wheat?”
The cat, dog, and duck all answered just as before, “Not I.”
Undeterred, the Little Red Hen said, “Then I will do it myself.” And she harvested the wheat all by herself.
With the wheat harvested, it was now time to grind it into flour. “Who will help me grind the wheat?” she inquired.
The same chorus echoed, “Not I.”
Determined, the Little Red Hen responded, “Then I will do it myself.” She ground the wheat into fine flour.
Now, it was time to make bread. “Who will help me bake the bread?” she asked.
The cat, dog, and duck, seeing a pattern, replied predictably, “Not I.”
With her unwavering spirit, the Little Red Hen said, “Then I will do it myself.” She baked a delicious, golden loaf of bread.
When the mouth-watering aroma of fresh bread wafted through the farmyard, the cat, dog, and duck came running, their mouths watering. “Who will help me eat the bread?” asked the Little Red Hen.
Eagerly, all three responded, “I will!”
The Little Red Hen, with a knowing smile, said, “Since none of you helped me plant the seeds, harvest the wheat, grind the flour, or bake the bread, I will eat it myself.” And she enjoyed every single bite.
Also Read: The Goose Of the Golden Eggs – The Elephant Rope
Moral of the Story
Hard work pays off, and those who don’t contribute should not expect to enjoy the fruits of others’ labor. It’s important to participate and not rely on others to do all the work.