The Little Red Hen

Once upon a time, a little red hen found a grain of wheat. "Who will help me plant this wheat?" asked the little red hen.

"Not I," said the cat.

"Not I," said the dog.

"Not I," said the goose.

"Not I," said the rat.

"Then I will do it myself!" said the little red hen. And she did.

In time, the wheat grew tall and ripened.

"Who will help me harvest this wheat?" asked the little red hen.

"Not I," said the cat.

"Not I," said the dog.

"Not I," said the goose.

"Not I," said the rat.

"Then I will do it myself!" said the little red hen. She cut the wheat with her beak, and thrashed it with her wings. "Who will help me take this wheat to the mill?" asked the little red hen.

"Not I," said the cat.

"Not I," said the dog.

"Not I," said the goose.

"Not I," said the rat.

"Then I will do it myself!" said the little red hen. And she did.

When she got back from the mill, she asked: "Who will help me bake this flour into bread?"

"Not I," said the cat.

"Not I," said the dog.

"Not I," said the goose.

"Not I," said the rat.

"Then I will do it myself!" said the little red hen. She kneaded the dough, and stoked the oven, and took the bread out when it was done.

"Who will help me eat this bread?" the little red hen asked.

"I will!" said the cat.

"I will!" said the dog.

"I will!" said the goose.

"I will!" said the rat.

"No you won't!" said the little red hen. "I planted it by myself. I reaped it by myself. I took it to the mill by myself. I baked it by myself. And now, I will eat it by myself!" And so she did.

Chicken Little

Once upon a time, Chicken Little was scratching for bugs under an oak tree when an acorn fell down, and hit him on the head.

"Oh, help! Oh help!" Chicken Little cried. "The sky is falling! I must go and tell the king!" and he ran down the road as fast as he could. Before long, he came upon Henny Penny.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Chicken Little?" Henny Penny asked.

"The sky is falling!" Chicken Little answered. "I saw it with my own eyes; I heard it with my own ears; I felt it land on the top of my own head! And so I am running to warn the king!"

"I'd better come with you!" Henny Penny answered. And they both ran down the road as fast as they could. Before long, they met Ducky Lucky.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Henny Penny and Chicken Little?"

"The sky is falling!" Chicken Little answered. "I saw it with my own eyes; I heard it with my own ears; I felt it land on the top of my own head! And so we are running to warn the king!"

"Then I'd better come, too!" Ducky Lucky answered, and they all ran down the road as fast as they could. Before long, they met Goosey Loosey.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Ducky Lucky, Henny Penny, and Chicken Little? Goosey Loosey asked.

"The sky is falling!" Chicken Little answered. "I saw it with my own eyes; I heard it with my own ears; I felt it land on the top of my own head! And so we are running to warn the king!"

"Oh, My!" Goosey Loosey said. "I must come with you! And they all ran down the road as fast as they could. Before long, they met Foxy Loxy.

"Where are you going, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Lucky, Henny Penny and Chicken Little?" Foxy Loxy asked.

"The sky is falling!" Chicken Little answered. "I saw it with my own eyes; I heard it with my own ears; I felt it land on the top of my own head! And so we are running to warn the king!"

Now, Foxy Loxy knew that the sky could not fall. But he was too clever to say so. Instead he said: "Oh, my! That is serious. Follow me, and I will lead you to the king's castle by a shortcut."

And so Goosey Loosey, Ducky Lucky, Henny Penny and Chicken Little followed Foxy Loxy. But instead of leading them to the king's castle, he led them to his own den, where he killed them all, and put them in his stew pot, and had himself a fine supper.

Moral: Don't let your fear overwhelm your common sense, or there will be trouble.

And, believe it or not, Disney is making an animated movie based on Chicken Little, due to be released around Novemember, I believe.