February 9, 2016 (Tuesday)
The following is not original. I copied some here and some there from various sources.
A fable:
The little Red Hen was in the farmyard with her chicks, when she found a grain of wheat.
“Who will plant this wheat?” she said.
“Not I,” said the Goose.
“Not I,” said the Duck.
“I will, then,” said the little Red Hen, and she planted the grain of wheat.
When the wheat was ripe she said, “Who will take this wheat to the mill?”
“Not I,” said the Goose.
“Not I,” said the Duck.
“I will, then,” said the little Red Hen, and she took the wheat to the mill.
When she brought the flour home she said, “Who will make some bread with this flour?”
“Not I,” said the Goose.
“Not I,” said the Duck.
“I will, then,” said the little Red Hen.
When the bread was baked, she said, “Who will eat this bread?”
“I will,” said the Goose
“I will,” said the Duck
“No, you won’t,” said the little Red Hen. “I shall eat it myself. Cluck! cluck!”
And she called her chicks to help her.
This fable was a story in children’s books, with repetition designed to help a child learn to read. But someone added the following:
And they painted “unfair” picket signs and marched round 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. “Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But productive workers must divide their products 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.