One day the little red hen found some wheat seeds.
She asked the other animals; "Who will help me plant these seeds, so that we can have bread?”
None of them wanted to help, so the little red hen found some good land and planted the seeds.
Over the days she watered and weeded the crop, and when it had grown tall she asked; "Shall we cut and thresh this wheat?"
The other animals all said that they did not care to help, and so the little red hen cut it all, and carefully threshed it herself.
When at last the work was done the little red hen asked; "Who will help me take all these grains to be milled?"
They all replied; "Oh no, we cannot go." So she filled some sacks and took them all the long way to the mill.
The little red hen eventually returned with flour, and asked the other animals; "Who would like to bake some nice bread?"
Not one offered to help, so she made dough, kneaded it, and kneaded it, let it stand, kneaded it some more and then put it into the oven.
Soon the smell of freshly baked bread brought all the other animals to the oven. The little red hen asked; "Who would like to help me eat this warm fresh bread?"
"Oh yes - we will help you eat the bread" they said. But the little red hen told them; "I alone planted the seeds, watered the crop, and then cut and threshed it. Not one of you helped to take the grains all the long way to the mill and bring the flour back. I did all the kneeding - hard work with my little wings, I can tell you - and then baked this fine loaf by myself.”
So the little red hen kept all the bread, and ate it with butter and jam; with cheese and chutney; toasted with beans; with peanut butter...