Once upon a time there was a Little Red Hen, who scratched about and uncovered some grains of wheat.

She called her barn-yard neighbours together and said " If we work together and plant this wheat, we will have some fine bread together. Now, who will help me plant the wheat ?? "

" Not I " said the Cow

" Not I " said the Duck

" Not I " said the Pig

" Not I " said the Goose

" Then I guess that I will have to do it myself "

said the Little Red Hen, and she did

After the wheat was planted there was a very dry spell, and no rain in sight.

" Who will help me water the wheat ?" asked the Little Red Hen

" Not I " said the Cow

" Not I " said the Duck

" Not I " said the Goose

" Then I will " said the Little Red Hen, and she did.

The wheat grew rapidly into tall golden grain.

" Now will you help me reap the wheat ? " asked the Little Red Hen.

" Wrong Union " said the Cow

" Lose my Pension " said the Duck

" Out of my classification " grunted the Pig

" Lose my child's benefit " said the Goose

" Then I will " said the Little Red hen, and she did.

When it came to grinding the grain into flour ............

" I'd lose my unemployment dole " said the Cow

" I'm on sickness compo " said the Duck

When it came time to bake the bread ..............

" That's overtime for me " said the Cow

" I'm a dropout, I never learned " said the Duck

" I'd lose my welfare benefits " said the Pig

" If I'm the only one to help, that's discrimination " said the Goose

" Then I'll do it myself, said the Little Red Hen, and she did.

She baked five most beautiful loaves of crusty bread and held them up for her neighbours to see.

" I want some " said the Cow

" I want some " said the Pig

" Gimme " said the Goose

" That's for me " said the Duck

" No, " said the Little Red Hen, " You wouldn't help,

I baked them all by myself, they are mine ....."

" Excess profits " said the Cow

" Capitalistic leech " cried the Duck

" Company fink " grunted the Pig

" Equal rights " screamed the Goose

They hurriedly painted a picket sign and started a protest march around Little Red Hen, singing lustily " We will overcome "

And do you know, that's just what they did ........

The Farmer came out to investigate the noise and said to Little Red Hen "You mustn't be greedy, look at the oppressed Cow, the disadvantaged Duck, the under-privileged Pig, and the less fortunate Goose, you are guilty of making them into Second-Class citizens. "

" But, " stammered the little Red Hen, " I found the grain, I planted and watered it, reaped it, and baked the bread. I earned it. "

" Exactly, " said the Farmer, " That's our wonderful Free Enterprise system. Anyone here in the barn-yard has the right to work as hard as they like, and to earn as much as they want to.

You should be happy with this freedom. In other barn-yards you would have to give all 5 loaves to the Farmer, here you only have to give 4 to your suffering neighbours and you can keep one for yourself.

You should be grateful ! "

And so they all lived happily together ever after, including the Little Red Hen

But her neighbours wondered why it was that she never baked any more bread

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