A little red hen bakes bread by herself when her friends refuse to help, learning about teamwork.
One sunny morning, the little red hen peeped out of her cozy coop and spotted a handful of golden grains lying in the grass. “What a surprise breakfast!” she clucked. Picking them up, she wondered, “What should I do with these?”
She marched over to her three friends—the sleepy dog, the plump cat, and the noisy duck. “Who will help me plant these grains so we can all have yummy bread?” asked the little red hen. “Not I,” barked the dog, rolling over for a nap. “Not I,” purred the cat, stretching in the sun. “Not I,” quacked the duck, splashing in a puddle. “Then I’ll do it myself!” said the hen. So she planted the grains all by herself.
Rain fell, sun shone, and soon little green shoots popped up. The hen ran to her friends. “Who will help me water the wheat?” she asked. But the dog was too busy chasing his tail, the cat was too busy cleaning her whiskers, and the duck was too busy playing with butterflies. “Then I’ll do it myself,” said the hen. And she watered the wheat.
When the wheat grew tall and golden, the hen called, “Who will help me harvest the wheat?” The dog was busy sniffing bones, the cat was curling up for a nap, and the duck was counting clouds. “Then I’ll do it myself!” said the hen. She worked hard and gathered the wheat.
After that, the hen took the wheat to the mill to be ground into soft, white flour. She asked, “Who will help me bake the bread?” “Not I,” barked the dog, licking his paws. “Not I,” purred the cat, playing with a ball of yarn. “Not I,” quacked the duck, watching the rain drip on the pond. “Then I’ll do it myself!” said the little red hen. She mixed, kneaded, and popped the bread in the oven.
Oh, how delicious it smelled! The friends gathered around, noses twitching, mouths watering. “Who will help me eat the bread?” asked the hen. “I will!” barked the dog. “I will!” purred the cat. “I will!” quacked the duck. The little red hen smiled. “Since I did all the work, I will eat it myself!” And she did—every crumb. But when her friends asked if they could help next time, she welcomed them with a happy cluck, “Of course!”
If you want to enjoy something special, remember to help your friends along the way.
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