There once was a farm with a big red barn. And in that big red barn, there lived many animals, the smallest of which, was a little red hen.
The little red hen may have been little, but she was the most active resident of the farm. When she wasn’t laying eggs, she spent her time clucking and walking about the barn, pecking at the seeds on the ground, or gathering up twigs and hay to make her nest. She kept everything in the barn tidy and clean.
One day, while she was pecking at the ground, she discovered some leftover wheat grains that the farmer had left behind. She knew that the wheat could be planted, and then made into delicious fresh bread.
So she went to the pigsty, where the pig was eating from a bucket of slop.
“Uh, Excuse me, cluck, cluck, I need someone to help me plant this wheat,” said the little red hen.
“Oink Oink, Not I,” said the pig, as he went back to his slop. So the little red hen went outside, and found the cat, lying in the sun and playing with a ball of yarn.
“Uh Cluck Cluck, will you help me plant this wheat?” said the little red hen.
“Meow,” said the cat. “Not I. Can’t you see that I’m busy? Meow.”
The little red hen was frustrated, but she did not give up. She walked all the way out to the pond, where the duck was lazing around in the cool water.
“Cluck cluck, will you help me plant this wheat?” said the little red hen.
“Quack, quack, Not I. Maybe I will help you later, when I am finished with my swim,” said the duck. “Cluck cluck, then I will do it myself,” said the little red hen.
So the little red hen went off on her own, out to the field, and found a nice spot to plant the wheat. When she was finished, she went back to the barn to rest.
Soon, when the wheat had grown tall and golden yellow, the hen became excited to make bread from it. But first, she had to harvest it.
“Cluck, who will help me cut the wheat?” asked the little red hen.