Aesop Fable - between 620 and 560 BC
Posted: Sat May 17, 2014 10:34 pm
The Little Red Hen
Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who lived on a farm. Nearby lived a lazy dog, a sleepy cat, and a noisy yellow duck.
One day the little red hen found some seeds on the ground. The little red hen had an idea. She would plant the seeds.
The little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me plant the seeds?"
"Not I," barked the lazy dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. So the little red hen planted the seeds all by herself.
When the seeds sprouted, the little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me hoe the weeds?"
"Not I," barked the lazy dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. So the little red hen hoed the weeds all by herself.
When the wheat had grown, the little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me cut the wheat?"
"Not I," barked the lazy dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. So the little red hen cut the wheat all by herself.
When all the wheat was cut, the little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me take the wheat to the mill to be ground into flour?"
"Not I," barked the lazy dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. So the little red hen brought the wheat to the mill all by herself, ground the wheat into flour, and carried the heavy sack of flour back to the farm.
The tired little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me bake the bread?"
"Not I," barked the lazy dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. So the little red hen baked the bread all by herself.
When the bread was finished, the tired little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me eat the bread?"
"I will," barked the lazy dog.
"I will," purred the sleepy cat.
"I will," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"No!" said the little red hen. "I will." But before she could even take a bite she was stopped and informed by a representative from Our Benevolent And Malevolent Agency that she was a one-percenter who was devouring everything while her neighbors had nothing and that efforts were underway to require her to give, willingly or otherwise, 90 percent of the bread to them. After all, she didn’t need it and they did.
So, the bread turned moldy, decayed and dried; no one ate it because it was worthless. Eventually the lazy dog, sleepy cat, noisy duck and little red hen died of starvation. End of story.
Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who lived on a farm. Nearby lived a lazy dog, a sleepy cat, and a noisy yellow duck.
One day the little red hen found some seeds on the ground. The little red hen had an idea. She would plant the seeds.
The little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me plant the seeds?"
"Not I," barked the lazy dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. So the little red hen planted the seeds all by herself.
When the seeds sprouted, the little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me hoe the weeds?"
"Not I," barked the lazy dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. So the little red hen hoed the weeds all by herself.
When the wheat had grown, the little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me cut the wheat?"
"Not I," barked the lazy dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. So the little red hen cut the wheat all by herself.
When all the wheat was cut, the little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me take the wheat to the mill to be ground into flour?"
"Not I," barked the lazy dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. So the little red hen brought the wheat to the mill all by herself, ground the wheat into flour, and carried the heavy sack of flour back to the farm.
The tired little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me bake the bread?"
"Not I," barked the lazy dog.
"Not I," purred the sleepy cat.
"Not I," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. So the little red hen baked the bread all by herself.
When the bread was finished, the tired little red hen asked her neighbors, "Who will help me eat the bread?"
"I will," barked the lazy dog.
"I will," purred the sleepy cat.
"I will," quacked the noisy yellow duck.
"No!" said the little red hen. "I will." But before she could even take a bite she was stopped and informed by a representative from Our Benevolent And Malevolent Agency that she was a one-percenter who was devouring everything while her neighbors had nothing and that efforts were underway to require her to give, willingly or otherwise, 90 percent of the bread to them. After all, she didn’t need it and they did.
So, the bread turned moldy, decayed and dried; no one ate it because it was worthless. Eventually the lazy dog, sleepy cat, noisy duck and little red hen died of starvation. End of story.
