THE MODERN DAY LITTLE RED HEN

Once Upon A Time, there was a little red hen who scratched about
the barnyard until she uncovered some grains of wheat. She called her
neighbors and said, "If we plant this wheat we shall have bread to
eat. Who will help me plant it?" "Not I," said the cow, the duck,
the pig and the goose. "Then I will," said the little red hen; and
she did.

The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain. "Who will
help me reap the wheat?" asked the little red hen. "Not I," said the
duck, "Out of my classification," said the pig. "I'd lose my
seniority," said the cow. "I'd lose my unemployment compensation,"
said the goose. "Then I will," said the little red hen; and she did.

At last it came time to bake the bread. "Who will help me bake
the bread?" asked the little red hen. "That would be overtime for me"
said the cow. "I'd lose my welfare benefits," said the duck.
"Discrimination." screamed the goose. "Then I will." said the little
red hen.

She baked five loaves and held them up for her neighbors to see.
They all wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little
red hen said "No I can eat the five loaves myself." "Excess profits!"
cried the cow. "I demand equal rights!" yelled the goose. The pig
just grunted. And they painted "unfair" picket signs and marched
around and around the little red hen.

When the government agent came, he said to the little red hen,
"You must not be greedy." "But I earned the bread," said the little
red hen. "Exactly," said the agent. "That is the wonderful free
enterprise system. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he
wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive
workers must divide their product with the idle. So be grateful that
you're permitted to keep a small part of what you produced."

And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red
hen, who smiled and clucked, "I am grateful. I am grateful." But her
neighbors wondered why she never again baked any more bread.

THE END!