2.4 The little red hen  (Page 2/2)

She called her five little chickens and gave them each a spade. Together they scratched and dug and dug and scratched until at last the ground was soft. Again she ran as fast as she could to the cat, the duck and the pig.

“We have dug the ground. Who will help me sow the seed?” asked the little red hen.

“Not I,” mewed the black cat.

“Not I,” quacked the white duck.

“Not I,” grunted the brown pig.

“Very well,” said the little red hen, “then I shall sow it myself and my five little chickens will help me.”

So she called her five little chickens and together they sowed the wheat. Soon the wheat came up, but so did the weeds. Again she ran as fast as she could to the cat, the duck and the pig.

“See, the wheat is growing, but the weeds are coming up as fast as the wheat. Who will help me to hoe the land?” asked the little red hen.

“Not I,” mewed the black cat.

“Not I,” quacked the white duck.

“Not I,” grunted the brown pig.

“Very well,” said the little red hen, “then I shall hoe it myself and my five little chickens will help me.”

So she called her five little chickens and together they loosened the ground and pulled up the weeds. Soon the wheat was ripe. Again she ran as fast as she could to the cat, the duck and the pig.

“Who will help me reap the wheat?” asked the little red hen.

“Not I,” mewed the black cat.

“Not I,” quacked the white duck.

“Not I,” grunted the brown pig.

“Very well,” said the little red hen, “then I shall reap it myself and my five little chickens will help me.”

So she called her five little chickens and together they reaped the wheat and put the grains into a little bag. Again she ran as fast as she could to the cat, the duck and the pig.

“See my bag of wheat. Who will help me grind the wheat?” asked the little red hen.

“Not I,” mewed the black cat.

“Not I,” quacked the white duck.

“Not I,” grunted the brown pig.

“Very well,” said the little red hen, “then I shall take it to the mill myself and my five little chickens will help me.”

So she called her five little chickens and off they went, through the gate and over the hill until they came to the mill.

“Please Mr Miller, will you grind the wheat for me?” asked the little red hen. The miller ground a bag of fine white flour and gave it to her. Again she ran as fast as she could to the cat, the duck and the pig.

“Look, my bag of flour! It is fine and white, just what I need for a cake. Who will help me mix the cake?” asked the little red hen.

“Not I,” mewed the black cat.

“Not I,” quacked the white duck.

“Not I,” grunted the brown pig.

“Very well,” said the little red hen, “then I shall mix the cake myself and my five little chickens will help me.”

So she called her five little chickens and together they mixed the cake. Again she ran as fast as she could to the cat, the duck and the pig.

“See, we have mixed the cake. Who will help me bake the cake?” asked the little red hen.

“Not I,” mewed the black cat.

“Not I,” quacked the white duck.

“Not I,” grunted the brown pig.

“Very well,” said the little red hen, “then I shall bake it myself and my five little chickens will help me.”

So she called her five little chickens and together they baked the cake. Soon the cake was done. Again she ran as fast as she could to the cat, the duck and the pig.

“See, we have baked the cake. Who will help me eat the cake?” asked the little red hen. Now the cat, the duck and the pig could smell the little red hen’s fine cake.

“I shall,” mewed the black cat.

“I shall,” quacked the white duck.

“I shall,” grunted the brown pig.

But the little red hen laughed at them and said: “You would not help me dig the ground, sow the seed, hoe the land, reap the wheat, grind the wheat, mix the cake or bake the cake. You do not have to help me now, either. I and my five chickens will eat the cake ourselves.”

So she cut the cake into six big slices and she and her five little chickens ate it all up. They did not leave a single crumb for the cat, the duck and the pig.