Teaching kids about kindness, generosity, and empathy is very important. Reading and listening to such stories help exhibit such qualities that model positive behaviour in children. This can help them to manage their emotions and build healthy relationships with their peers as they grow up. When kids see the characters of stories sharing, being caring, and helping each other, they learn a valuable lesson about how to be a good person, friend, neighbour and citizen of the world. For instance, the Little Red Hen story in English is a sweet story of a group of animals that teaches kids why we should help and be kind to others. Continue reading to know all about the Little Red Hen full story.
Origin And History Of The Little Red Hen
Mary Mapes Dodge first collected the Little Red Hen story in St. Nicholas Magazine in 1874. This short story has been passed down through generations and is meant to teach children the importance of hard work and personal initiative.
Story Type Of The Little Red Hen
The Little Red Hen is an American fable that makes for a perfect bedtime story for kids. Explore what happens in the story, why it appeals to children and why the lesson it teaches is important for your little one.
Story Characters
Find below the characters of the Little Red Hen story for kids –
- Little Red Hen
- The Pig
- The Cat
- The Rat
The Little Red Hen Story For Children
Once upon a time, in a barnyard lived a Little Red Hen. She spent almost all of her time walking around the barnyard, scratching everywhere for worms. She dearly loved fat and delicious worms and felt they were absolutely necessary for the health of her chicks. Whenever she found a worm, she would call “Chuck-chuck-chuck!” to her chicks.
A cat used to nap lazily at the barn door, not even bothering to scare the rat who ran here and there. There also lived a pig who used to stay in the pigsty and did not care what happened, as long as he could eat and grow fat.
One day the Little Red Hen found a wheat seed. She bit the seed gently, thinking it was a worm, but it resembled a worm in no way! Carrying it around the barn, the Little Red Hen made many inquiries as to what it might be. She discovered that it was a wheat seed and that, if planted, the seed would grow up, and when ripe, it could be made into flour that could be used to make bread.
But the seed had to be planted first. So, she thought of the Pig, Cat, and Rat for help and called out to them –
“Who will plant the Seed?”
“Not I,” said the Pig,
“Not I,” said the Cat,
“Not I,” said the Rat.
“Well, I will then,” said the Little Red Hen.
After some months, the wheat grew taller and ready for harvest. So she ran about calling –
“Who will cut the wheat?”
“Not I,” said the Pig,
“Not I,” said the Cat,
“Not I,” said the Rat.
“Well, I will then,” said the Little Red Hen.
She proceeded to cut off all of the big plants of wheat.
Now was the time to thresh the wheat. In a very hopeful tone, she again called out, “Who will thresh the wheat?”
“Not I,” said the Pig,
“Not I,” said the Cat,
“Not I,” said the Rat.
“Well, I will, then.” said the Little Red Hen.
After threshing the wheat, she again called out for help-
“Who will help to carry the wheat to the mill to be ground?”
“Not I,” said the Pig,
“Not I,” said the Cat,
“Not I,” said the Rat.
“Well, I will then,” said the Little Red Hen.
Carrying the sack of wheat, she trudged off to the mill. There she got the wheat ground into white flour.
Now that the wheat was ground, it had to be made into bread.
Still confident that the Pig, Cat and Rat would surely help, she sang out, “Who will make the bread?”
“Not I,” said the Pig,
“Not I,” said the Cat,
“Not I,” said the Rat.
Alas, all the hopes of the Little Red Hen were dashed.
So, the Little Red Hen said again, “I will then”.
She went and put on an apron, set the dough, brought out the moulding board and the baking tins, moulded the bread, divided it into loaves, and put them into the oven to bake.
After some time, a delicious odour was in the air. The Little Red Hen pulled lovely brown loaves from the oven that were baked to perfection.
Out of habit, the Little Red Hen called out –
“Who will eat the bread?”
“I will,” said the Pig,
“I will,” said the Cat,
“I will,” said the Rat.
But this time, the Little Red Hen replied –
“No, you won’t. I will.”
The Little Red Hen called her chicks and ate up all the delicious bread. There was nothing left for the Pig, Cat and Rat.
Story Summary
Here is the summary of the Little Red Hen story.
The Little Red Hen, while searching for a worm in the ground, finds a seed. Earlier, she was confused about whether it was a worm but later learned it was a wheat grain. She asked for help from the other animals (the Pig, Cat and Rat) to plant it. But no one helped her. Later she asked for help to harvest it, but again no one helped her. Then she asked the animals to thresh it. Again the animals were not willing to help. Next, she asked the animals to help her and take it to the mill to get it ground, but again no one said yes. Finally, to bake the flour into bread, she asked for help, but again no one agreed. During any of the stages, she didn’t get help from the other animals. But when the Little Red Hen asked who would help her to eat the bread. Everyone said yes, but she ate it with her chicks, leaving none for others.
Moral Of The Story
The moral of the story of Little Red Hen is that “One must work hard to rip overboard and also that one must help others”. The Little Red Hen asks several other animals on the farm to help her collect wheat, harvest it, take it to the mill to be ground and then bake a loaf of bread, but now one helped her. Instead, everyone said yes when asked, “who will eat the bread.” The story teaches us that one shouldn’t expect the fruits without working hard for them.
How Can Children Apply The Moral Of The Story In Their Real Life?
The children can apply the moral of the Little Red Hen short story in their real life by helping others. You can start teaching this to your child from a young age by taking their help with daily chores like folding the laundry, taking their help with flame-less cooking or when in the market, asking the kids to hold the grocery (lightweight).
It is important to instil these important values in your child, like the importance of helping others, that can be taught with the help of this story with pictures.
Also Read:
Moral Story Of The 3 Fishes for Children
Story Of Jonah and The Whale for Kids with Moral
The Two Goats Moral Story for Children
