(This is the all time favorite Speakable. The younger contestants enjoyed it in our first writing contest. Periodically we post this story and activity for our younger friends to enjoy. )
The Little Red Hen
Once upon time there was a Little Red Hen who lived in a barnyard with her three little chicks and a dog named Helpless, a cat named Thoughtless, and a duck named Useless.
One day while walking through a field, the Little Red Hen found some grains of wheat. "Who will help me plant this wheat?" she clucked.
"Not I," said Helpless.
"Not I," said Thoughtless.
"Not I," said Useless.
"Then I will plant it myself," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
So after she planted the wheat grains, the wheat grew and grew as God sent sunshine and rain. Finally, the wheat was tall and ready to be reaped. "Who will help me reap this wheat?" clucked the Little Red Hen.
"Not I," said Helpless.
"Not I," said Thoughtless.
"Not I," said Useless.
"Then I will reap it myself," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
So she reaped the wheat all by herself and then she threshed it and soon it was time for it to be taken to the mill to be ground into flour. "Who will help me take this wheat to the mill to be ground?" clucked the Little Red Hen.
"Not I," said Helpless.
"Not I," said Thoughtless.
"Not I," said Useless.
"Then I will take it myself," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
So she took the wheat to the mill and had it ground into flour. When she got back to the barnyard it was time to make the flour into dough. "Who will help me make this flour into dough?" clucked the Little Red Hen.
"Not I," said Helpless.
"Not I," said Thoughtless.
"Not I," said Useless.
"Then I will make it myself," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
So after she made the flour into dough, it was time to bake the bread. "Who will help me bake the bread?" clucked the Little Red Hen.
"Not I," said Helpless.
"Not I," said Thoughtless.
"Not I," said Useless.
"Then I will bake it myself," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
So she made a loaf of bread out of the dough and put it into the oven. Soon the smell of warm, freshly baked bread filled the barnyard. "Who will help me eat this warm, fresh bread?" clucked the Little Red Hen.
"I will," said Helpless.
"I will," said Thoughtless.
"I will," said Useless.
"No you won't," said the Little Red Hen.
"You could have been more helpful," she said to the dog.
"You could have been more thoughtful," she said to the cat.
"You could have been more useful," she said to the duck.
"My three chicks and I will eat all of the bread ourselves!"
AND THEY DID.
Retold by M. Randall
Once upon time there was a Little Red Hen who lived in a barnyard with her three little chicks and a dog named Helpless, a cat named Thoughtless, and a duck named Useless.
One day while walking through a field, the Little Red Hen found some grains of wheat. "Who will help me plant this wheat?" she clucked.
"Not I," said Helpless.
"Not I," said Thoughtless.
"Not I," said Useless.
"Then I will plant it myself," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
So after she planted the wheat grains, the wheat grew and grew as God sent sunshine and rain. Finally, the wheat was tall and ready to be reaped. "Who will help me reap this wheat?" clucked the Little Red Hen.
"Not I," said Helpless.
"Not I," said Thoughtless.
"Not I," said Useless.
"Then I will reap it myself," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
So she reaped the wheat all by herself and then she threshed it and soon it was time for it to be taken to the mill to be ground into flour. "Who will help me take this wheat to the mill to be ground?" clucked the Little Red Hen.
"Not I," said Helpless.
"Not I," said Thoughtless.
"Not I," said Useless.
"Then I will take it myself," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
So she took the wheat to the mill and had it ground into flour. When she got back to the barnyard it was time to make the flour into dough. "Who will help me make this flour into dough?" clucked the Little Red Hen.
"Not I," said Helpless.
"Not I," said Thoughtless.
"Not I," said Useless.
"Then I will make it myself," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
So after she made the flour into dough, it was time to bake the bread. "Who will help me bake the bread?" clucked the Little Red Hen.
"Not I," said Helpless.
"Not I," said Thoughtless.
"Not I," said Useless.
"Then I will bake it myself," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
So she made a loaf of bread out of the dough and put it into the oven. Soon the smell of warm, freshly baked bread filled the barnyard. "Who will help me eat this warm, fresh bread?" clucked the Little Red Hen.
"I will," said Helpless.
"I will," said Thoughtless.
"I will," said Useless.
"No you won't," said the Little Red Hen.
"You could have been more helpful," she said to the dog.
"You could have been more thoughtful," she said to the cat.
"You could have been more useful," she said to the duck.
"My three chicks and I will eat all of the bread ourselves!"
AND THEY DID.
Retold by M. Randall
Pretend that you are either the dog, the cat, or the duck. Write a letter to the Little Red Hen telling her why you feel she did the right thing when she and her chicks ate all the bread. Tell her what you think about what she said to you at the end of the story.
