Read aloud
The Little Red Hen
Once there was a little red hen who lived in a small yard with her friends: a sleepy cat, a lazy dog, and a duck who liked to wander.
One morning the little red hen found a few grains of wheat on the ground. She scratched the earth with her feet and said, "Who will help me plant this wheat?"
"Not I," said the cat.
"Not I," said the dog.
"Not I," said the duck.
"Then I will plant it myself," said the little red hen. And she did.
The wheat grew tall and golden. The little red hen said, "Who will help me cut this wheat?"
"Not I," said the cat. "Not I," said the dog. "Not I," said the duck.
"Then I will cut it myself," said the little red hen. And she did.
She carried the wheat to the mill and had it ground into flour. Then she came home and said, "Who will help me make this flour into bread?"
"Not I," said the cat. "Not I," said the dog. "Not I," said the duck.
"Then I will make it myself," said the little red hen. She mixed the flour with water and yeast. She kneaded the dough, shaped the loaf, and baked it until the whole kitchen smelled warm and good.
When the bread was done, the little red hen set it on the table. "Who will help me eat this bread?" she asked.
"I will," said the cat. "I will," said the dog. "I will," said the duck.
But the little red hen shook her head. "No," she said. "I planted the wheat, cut the wheat, carried the wheat, ground the wheat, mixed the dough, and baked the bread. I will eat it myself."
And she did. It was warm, sweet, honest bread.