the little red hen.

anyone with children (or maybe a husband in there somewhere) can relate to this book. not to mention, the kiddos love it, too. it might be old (early 1940's-ish, but trails back even further), but its moral and story-line hit home just as well now as it did when first published.

a lazy cat, dog, and mouse; living with an overachieving hen (oh, aren't we all?) carrying her (and everyone else's) weight around the house. cooking, cleaning, sewing, gardening ... she does it all. and every time she asks for a little help, she's largely ignored.

so, when the little red hen plants, grows, weeds, cuts, mills, and packs home what was probably the amazingest flour in the whole world, with no help from her lounging buddies, she decides to make an equally amazing (one can assume) cake.

funny how the cat, dog, and mouse, come flying out of the woodwork to take part in the cake-eating portion of this assembly line. and rightfully so, little red hen tells them to get lost and eats the whole cake herself! maybe next time they'll help out a little when she asks!

children and husbands take heed, or you just might not get any cake!