Once upon a time, there was a little red hen. She lived on a farm and worked very hard every day. She pecked at the ground, looked for worms, sat in a bush, and sometimes laid an egg. The little red hen had three friends: a cat, a dog, and a horse. But these friends liked to relax. The cat loved to nap in the sun, the dog enjoyed sleeping in the shade, and the horse liked to watch TV all day long.
One day, the little red hen found a bush full of yummy raspberries. “Raspberries!” she chirped happily. “We can make a raspberry cake!” She was so excited that she ran to tell her friends. “Hey, everyone! There are raspberries over there! We can make a raspberry cake!” The dog drooled, “Yes!” The cat licked her lips, “Absolutely!” The horse flicked his tail, “What a great idea!”
The little red hen asked, “Who wants to help me pick the raspberries?”
“Not me,” said the dog, “I’m too busy.”
“Not me,” said the cat, “I’m too tired.”
“Not me,” said the horse, “I’m watching TV.”
“Then I will do it myself,” said the little red hen. So, she picked the raspberries all by herself.
“Now we need flour, sugar, milk, and butter,” said the little red hen. “Who wants to help me get them?”
“Not me,” said the dog, “I’m too busy.”
“Not me,” said the cat, “I’m too tired.”
“Not me,” said the horse, “I’m watching TV.”
“Then I will do it myself,” said the little red hen. She went to the pantry for flour and sugar and to the fridge for butter and milk. She put everything into a big bowl, all by herself.
“Who wants to help me mix the cake batter?” asked the little red hen.
“Not me,” said the dog, “I’m too busy.”
“Not me,” said the cat, “I’m too tired.”
“Not me,” said the horse, “I’m watching TV.”
“Then I will do it myself!” said the little red hen. She mixed the batter until it was smooth and creamy, then stirred in the raspberries. She poured the batter into a cake tin and put it in the oven, all by herself.
(Tick tock, tick tock) Soon, a delicious smell filled the kitchen. The dog, the cat, and the horse could all smell it. They rushed to the kitchen. The little red hen took the cake from the oven, put it on a plate, and sprinkled it with sugar.
“Who wants to help me eat this cake?” asked the little red hen.
“Me!” said the dog.
“Me!” said the cat.
“Me!” said the horse.
“I don’t think so,” said the little red hen. “You did not help me make this cake, so you will not help me eat it.” She ran away with the cake and enjoyed every last crumb, all by herself.
This story teaches us that working hard and helping each other is important. When we work together, we can share the rewards!
Raspberry Hunt: Go on a pretend raspberry hunt in your backyard or a nearby park. Look for small red objects that can represent raspberries. Count how many you find and imagine making a raspberry cake with them. Discuss with your friends or family how everyone can help in different ways, just like the little red hen wanted her friends to help.
Helping Hands Chart: Create a “Helping Hands” chart at home or in the classroom. Each time someone helps with a task, like setting the table or cleaning up toys, add a sticker or draw a star next to their name. At the end of the week, celebrate everyone’s hard work by sharing a special treat or having a fun activity together. Talk about how working together makes tasks easier and more fun.
Role Play the Story: Act out the story of the Little Red Hen with your friends or family. Take turns being the hen, the dog, the cat, and the horse. Think about how each character feels at different parts of the story. Discuss what the dog, cat, and horse could have done differently to help the little red hen. How would the story change if they all worked together?
**The Little Red Hen**
(A version of the tale by TheFableCottage.com)
This is a story about a little red hen. The little red hen lives on a farm. She works hard all day long: she pecks the ground, looks for worms, sits in a bush, and sometimes lays an egg. The little red hen has three friends: a cat, a dog, and a horse. These animals don’t work hard at all. The cat likes to sleep in the sun, the dog likes to sleep in the shade, and the horse likes to watch TV all day long.
One day, the little red hen sees a raspberry bush. “Raspberries!” she squeals. “Yum yum yum! We can make a raspberry cake!” The little red hen runs to tell her friends. “Guys! There are raspberries over there! We can make a raspberry cake!” The dog drools. “Yes!” The cat licks her lips. “Absolutely!” The horse flicks his tail. “What a great idea!”
“So… who wants to help me pick the raspberries?” asks the little red hen.
“Not me,” says the dog, “I’m too busy.”
“Not me,” says the cat, “I’m too tired.”
“Not me,” says the horse, “I’m watching TV.”
“Then I will do it myself,” says the little red hen. So she picks the berries, one by one, all by herself.
“Ok, now we need flour, sugar, milk, and butter,” says the little red hen. “Who wants to help me get them?”
“Not me,” says the dog, “I’m too busy.”
“Not me,” says the cat, “I’m too tired.”
“Not me,” says the horse, “I’m watching TV.”
“Then I will do it myself,” says the little red hen. She goes all the way to the pantry and gets the flour and sugar. She goes all the way to the fridge and gets the butter and milk. Then she puts everything together into a big bowl, all by herself.
“Who wants to help me mix the cake batter?” asks the little red hen.
“Not me,” says the dog, “I’m too busy.”
“Not me,” says the cat, “I’m too tired.”
“Not me,” says the horse, “I’m watching TV.”
“Then I will do it myself!” says the little red hen. She mixes the batter until it is smooth and creamy. Then she gently stirs through the raspberries. She pours the batter into a cake tin and puts it in the oven, all by herself.
(Tick tock, tick tock) Soon there is a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. The dog can smell it. The cat can smell it. The horse can smell it too. They all rush to the kitchen. The little red hen takes the cake from the oven. She puts it on a plate and sprinkles it with sugar.
“So… who wants to help me eat this cake?” asks the little red hen.
“Me!” says the dog.
“Me!” says the cat.
“Me!” says the horse.
“I don’t think so,” says the little red hen. “You did not help me make this cake, so you will not help me eat it.” She runs away with the cake and eats every last crumb, all by herself.
