The Little Red Hen

A Modern and Classic Tale

Classic and Modern Storytelling Speech 1: The Folk Tale by Russia and The Joke Emporium CLASSIC VERSION Once upon a time there was a little red hen who lived in a big farm-yard. She had three fluffy yellow chicks. One morning as they were busily scratching about the yard, looking for something to eat, the little red hen found a grain of wheat. "Look!" she said. "See what I have found. Who will help me to plant this grain of wheat?" "Not I," said the duck. "I must go down to the pond for a swim." "Not I," said the cat. "I have some visitors coming in a few minutes." "Very well, I will then", said the little red hen, and she did. After a while some weeds appeared among the stalks of wheat. One day the little red hen asked: "Who will help me to weed this wheat?" "Not I," said the duck. "That sort of work doesn't agree with me." "Not I", said the cat. "I would not be able to tell the weeds from the wheat". "Very well, I will then", said the little red hen, and she did. After a while the wheat began to ripen: "What fine wheat we have," said the cat and the duck. "Yes, indeed, it is time to reap the wheat," said the little red hen. "Who will help me to reap this wheat?" "Not I", said the cat. "Not I", said the duck. "Very well, then I will", said the little red hen. She cut the heads off the grain very carefully and put them in a bag. Then she called to the cat and the duck and she asked, "Now, who will take this wheat to the mill to be ground into flour?" "Not I", said the duck. "Not I", said the cat. "Very well, then", said the little red hen, "I will take it myself". So the little red hen trudged off to the mill, and in a few hours she was back with a sack of fine flour. "Now, who is going to make this flour into bread?" asked the little red hen. "Not I", said the duck. "Not I", said the cat. "I will, then," said the little red hen, and she did. Soon the loaf was ready for the oven. "Now, who is going to bake this bread?" asked the little red hen. "Not I", said the cat. "Not I", said the duck. "Very well, then", said the little red hen. "I will do it". So the loaf of bread was baked and it was baked, and it was beautiful, golden and crusty. The little red hen put it on the kitchen table, and the cat and the duck came into the house and looked at it longingly. "Well now, who is going to eat this loaf of bread?" asked the little red hen. "I will", said the duck quickly. "I will", said the cat stepping close. "Oh, no, you won't", said the little red hen. "I am going to eat it myself". Then she called her little chicks together, and they ate the whole loaf of bread. Not a crumb was left for the duck and the cat.

MODERN VERSION Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered some grains of wheat. She called her neighbors and said, "If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?" "Not I," said the cow. "Not I," said the duck. "Not I," said the pig. "Not I," said the goose. "Then I will," said the little red hen, and she did. The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain. "Who will help me reap my wheat?" asked the little red hen. "Not I," said the duck. "Out of my classification," said the pig. "I'd lose my seniority," said the cow. "I'd lose my unemployment compensation," said the goose. "Then I will," said the little red hen, and she did. At last it came time to bake the bread. "Who will help me bake the bread?" asked the little red hen. "That would be overtime for me," said the cow. "I'd lose my welfare benefits," said the duck. "I'm a dropout and never learned how," said the pig. "If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination," said the goose. "Then I will," said the little red hen. She baked five loaves and held them up for her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, "No, I can eat the five loaves." "Excess profits!" cried the cow. "Capitalist leech!" screamed the duck. "I demand equal rights!" yelled the goose. And the pig just grunted. And they painted "unfair" picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities. When the government agent came, he said to the little red hen, "You must not be greedy." "But I earned the bread," said the little red hen. "Exactly," said the agent. "That is the wonderful free enterprise system. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide their product with the idle." And they lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, "I am grateful. I am grateful." But her neighbors wondered why she never again baked any more bread.