Once upon a time, a lamb, a cat, a pig, and a little red hen lived on an old farm on a flowery hill surrounded by fields of golden wheat. One day, the Little Red Hen found some grains of wheat scattered in the barnyard. “Look what I’ve found!” she said to the other animals. “Who will help me plant these grains of wheat?”

“Not I!” said the lamb.
“Not I!” said the cat.
“Not I!” said the pig.

“Then I’ll do it myself,” said the Little Red Hen. And so she did. She knew that seeds need water to grow tall and strong. “Who will help me water these seeds?” asked the Little Red Hen.

“Not I!” said the lamb.
“Not I!” said the cat.
“Not I!” said the pig.

“Then I’ll do it myself,” said the Little Red Hen. And so she did. The Little Red Hen watered the soil and waited patiently for the wheat to grow. When the wheat was tall and golden, she knew it was ready to be cut. “Who will help me harvest the wheat?” asked the Little Red Hen.

“Not I!” said the lamb.
“Not I!” said the cat.
“Not I!” said the pig.

“Then I’ll do it myself,” said the Little Red Hen. And so she did. The Little Red Hen’s basket was soon filled with wheat. “Who will help me take the wheat to the mill to be ground into flour?” asked the Little Red Hen.

“Not I!” said the lamb
“Not I!” said the cat.
“Not I!” said the pig.

“Then I’ll do it myself,” said the Little Red Hen. And so she did. She paid the kind Miller to grind the wheat into powdery, velvety flour, and the Little Red Hen carried it home in a rough brown sack. “Who will help me make this flour into bread?” asked the Little Red Hen.

“Not I!” said the lamb.
“Not I!” said the cat.
“Not I!” said the pig.

“Then I’ll do it myself,” said the Little Red Hen. And so she did. The Little Red Hen mixed the flour into sticky dough and kneaded it into a smooth loaf. “Who will help me put this bread into the oven to bake?” asked the Little Red Hen.

“Not I!” said the lamb.
“Not I!” said the cat.
“Not I!” said the pig.

“Then I’ll do it myself,” said the Little Red Hen. And so she did. The kitchen filled with the delicious scent of baking bread, and the other animals came to see what was happening. The Little Red Hen took the warm, crusty loaf out of the oven, and set it on the table. “Who will help me eat this fresh, tasty bread?” asked the Little Red Hen.

“I will!” said the lamb.
“I will!” said the cat.
“I will!” said the pig.

“No, you will not,” said the Little Red Hen. “You didn’t help me plant it, or water it, or harvest it, or mill it, or bake it. I shall eat it myself!”

But the farmer spoke up, “Bad Little Red Hen, you should be ashamed of yourself. Feed your neighbors!”

“But I did all the study, preparation and work to make this bread. No one else wanted to do any of the work,” replied the Little Red Hen.

The farmer was quite irritated with the Rich Little Red Hen, “It is not the fault of the lamb, cat or pig that they didn’t have the education to help you. They are hungry and I command you to feed them!”

And because the farmer was the farmer, the Little Red Hen shared her bread with her neighbors.

The next time she made bread, the same thing happened and she shared her bread with her neighbors…And again, and again.

Finally the Little Red Hen was worn out and broke. She could no longer make bread. Every animal on the farm starved and died. And the farmer blamed the Little Red Hen.