54 THE LITTLE RED HEN

A little red hen once found a grain of wheat.

“Who will plant this wheat? ”she asked.

“I won't, ”said the dog.

“I won't, ”said the cat.

“I won't, ”said the pig.

“I won't, ”said the turkey.

“Then I will, ”said the little red hen. “Cluck! Cluck! ”

So she planted the grain of wheat.

Soon the wheat began to grow.

By and by it grew tall and ripe.

“Who will reap this wheat? ”asked the little red hen.

“I won't, ”said the dog.

“I won't, ”said the cat.

“I won't, ”said the pig.

“I won't, ”said the turkey.

“I will, then, ”said the little red hen. “Cluck! Cluck! ”

So she reaped the wheat.

“Who will thresh this wheat? ”said the little red hen.

“I won't, ”said the dog.

“I won't, ”said the cat.

“I won't, ”said the pig.

“I won't, ”said the turkey.

“I will, then, ”said the little red hen. “Cluck! Cluck! ”

So she threshed the wheat.

“Who will take this wheat to the mill to have it ground? ”asked the little red hen.

“I won't, ”said the dog.

“I won't, ”said the cat.

“I won't, ”said the pig.

“I won't, ”said the turkey.

“I will, then, ”said the little red hen. “Cluck! Cluck! ”

So she took the wheat to the mill.

By and by she came back with the flour.

“Who will bake a loaf of bread with this flour? ”asked the little red hen.

“I won't, ”said the dog, the cat, the pig, and the turkey.

“I will, then, ”said the little red hen. “Cluck! Cluck! ”

So she baked a loaf of bread with the flour.

“Who will eat this bread? ”asked the little red hen.

“I will, ”said the dog.

“I will, ”said the cat.

“I will, ”said the pig.

“I will, ”said the turkey.

“No, you, won't, ”said the little red hen. “My little chicks and I are going to do that. Cluck! Cluck! ”

So she called her four little chicks, and they ate up the loaf of bread.

(Old Tale)

Word list

ripe: ready to be picked (fruit or vegetables)

reap: to pick fruit, vegetables, grains, or other food

thresh: to chop into very small pieces

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) Who did Little Red Hen ask to help her with the wheat?

2) What does it mean when it says “Little Red Hen reaped the wheat”?

3) Why did Little Red Hen take the wheat to the mill?

4) The main character in a story is the person or animal the story is mostly about. Who is the main character in this story?

5) What time of year does this story take place?

B) Words that rhyme—Find words in the story that rhyme with these ones.

1) feet: w _ _ _ _

2) keep: r _ _ _

3) power: f _ _ _ _

4) said: b _ _ _ _

5) frog: d _ _

C) Drawing the story—Draw the main character, setting, problem, and solution from the story. Also write a sentence to go with your pictures.

1) Main Character:

2) Setting:

3) Problem:

4) Solution