#children story

[foodandfolklore]

The Little Red Hen

I had an random memory pop into my head of my mom reading the Little Red Hen to a group of children. It's weird cause I'm not sure how old I am in this memory. My mom did a lot of volunteer work with our schools and helped out in field trips. I feel very young in this memory since the children around me are so young and I am so enthralled in the story. But the longer I think on it, the more I think this is when I was in my teens or early 20s working with her at a not for profit daycare.

So, with this brain worm going on, I figured I'd share the story of the little red hen. Story was first written in a US Children's Magazine by Mary Mapes Dodge in 1874. It was a short story, meant to communicate the idea that hard work will pay off. A full illustrated book version was published in 1918 by Florence White Williams. Since I wasn't able to find any copies of the story from the Magazine, I'll instead share Williams's version.

A few things about this story stood out to me, where if you look at the time it makes a lot of sense. Most modern versions of this story don't have the Little Red Hen have any chicks to look after, but in this version she does. And the mother hen struggles with the balance of looking after her chicks and making her bread. Even pointing how how the chicks feel neglected.

But the Mother Hen is not shamed by the author for it in the story. This story came out right after a massive war. Millions of people had died. Husbands and fathers were not all returning and Mothers were left to figure out how to be the new breadwinner. I think the author felt a great amount of empathy for these families, and had the opinion that communities should work together to help.

There have been lots of revisions and story tweaks over time, based on what the time period and culture expects from workers. For example, there was a version made in the 70s where the Hen was forced to share her bread with the lazy animals who did not help to make it. Soon, she lost the incentive to work and poverty hit the farm. It was written with an anti communism mindset.

Wheat Bread have good grounding properties, as well Kinship, Abundance and Prosperity. The breaking and sharing of bread is an action that invokes Peace and Friendship.

The Little Red Hen

A Little Red Hen lived in a barnyard. She spent almost all of her time walking about the barnyard in her picketty-pecketty fashion, scratching everywhere for worms.

She dearly loved fat, delicious worms and felt they were absolutely necessary to the health of her children. As often as she found a worm she would call “Chuck-chuck-chuck!” to her chickies.

When they were gathered about her, she would distribute choice morsels of her tid-bit. A busy little body was she!

A cat usually napped lazily in the barn door, not even bothering herself to scare the rat who ran here and there as he pleased.

And as for the pig who lived in the sty—he did not care what happened so long as he could eat and grow fat.

One day the Little Red Hen found a Seed. It was a Wheat Seed, but the Little Red Hen was so accustomed to bugs and worms that she supposed this to be some new and perhaps very delicious kind of meat. She bit it gently and found that it resembled a worm in no way whatsoever as to taste although because it was long and slender, a Little Red Hen might easily be fooled by its appearance.

Carrying it about, she made many inquiries as to what it might be. She found it was a Wheat Seed and that, if planted, it would grow up and when ripe it could be made into flour and then into bread.

When she discovered that, she knew it ought to be planted. She was so busy hunting food for herself and her family that, naturally, she thought she ought not to take time to plant it.

So she thought of the Pig—upon whom time must hang heavily and of the Cat who had nothing to do, and of the great fat Rat with his idle hours, and she called loudly:

“Who will plant the Seed?”

But the Pig said, “Not I,” and the Cat said, “Not I,” and the Rat said, “Not I.”

“Well, then,” said the Little Red Hen, “I will.” And she did.

Then she went on with her daily duties through the long summer days, scratching for worms and feeding her chicks, while the Pig grew fat, and the Cat grew fat, and the Rat grew fat, and the Wheat grew tall and ready for harvest.

So one day the Little Red Hen chanced to notice how large the Wheat was and that the grain was ripe, so she ran about calling briskly: “Who will cut the Wheat?” The Pig said, “Not I,” the Cat said, “Not I,” and the Rat said, “Not I.” “Well, then,” said the Little Red Hen, “I will.” And she did.

She got the sickle from among the farmer's tools in the barn and proceeded to cut off all of the big plant of Wheat.

On the ground lay the nicely cut Wheat, ready to be gathered and threshed, but the newest and yellowest and downiest of Mrs. Hen's chicks set up a “peep-peep-peeping” in their most vigorous fashion, proclaiming to the world at large, but most particularly to their mother, that she was neglecting them.

Poor Little Red Hen! She felt quite bewildered and hardly knew where to turn.

Her attention was sorely divided between her duty to her children and her duty to the Wheat, for which she felt responsible.

So, again, in a very hopeful tone, she called out, “Who will thresh the Wheat?”

But the Pig, with a grunt, said, “Not I,” and the Cat, with a meow, said, “Not I,” and the Rat, with a squeak, said, “Not I.”

So the Little Red Hen, looking, it must be admitted, rather discouraged, said, “Well, I will, then.”

And she did.

Of course, she had to feed her babies first, though, and when she had gotten them all to sleep for their afternoon nap, she went out and threshed the Wheat. Then she called out: “Who will carry the Wheat to the mill to be ground?”

Turning their backs with snippy glee, that Pig said, “Not I,” and that Cat said, “Not I,” and that Rat said, “Not I.”

So the good Little Red Hen could do nothing but say, “I will then.” And she did.

Carrying the sack of Wheat, she trudged off to the distant mill. There she ordered the Wheat ground into beautiful white flour. When the miller brought her the flour she walked slowly back all the way to her own barnyard in her own picketty-pecketty fashion.

She even managed, in spite of her load, to catch a nice juicy worm now and then and had one left for the babies when she reached them. Those cunning little fluff-balls were so glad to see their mother. For the first time, they really appreciated her.

After this really strenuous day Mrs. Hen retired to her slumbers earlier than usual—indeed, before the colors came into the sky to herald the setting of the sun, her usual bedtime hour.

She would have liked to sleep late in the morning, but her chicks, joining in the morning chorus of the hen yard, drove away all hopes of such a luxury.

Even as she sleepily half opened one eye, the thought came to her that to-day that Wheat must, somehow, be made into bread.

She was not in the habit of making bread, although, of course, anyone can make it if he or she follows the recipe with care, and she knew perfectly well that she could do it if necessary.

So after her children were fed and made sweet and fresh for the day, she hunted up the Pig, the Cat and the Rat.

Still confident that they would surely help her some day she sang out, “Who will make the bread?”

Alas for the Little Red Hen! Once more her hopes were dashed! For the Pig said, “Not I,” the Cat said, “Not I,” and the Rat said, “Not I.”

So the Little Red Hen said once more, “I will then,” and she did.

Feeling that she might have known all the time that she would have to do it all herself, she went and put on a fresh apron and spotless cook's cap. First of all she set the dough, as was proper. When it was time she brought out the moulding board and the baking tins, moulded the bread, divided it into loaves, and put them into the oven to bake. All the while the Cat sat lazily by, giggling and chuckling.

And close at hand the vain Rat powdered his nose and admired himself in a mirror. In the distance could be heard the long-drawn snores of the dozing Pig.

At last the great moment arrived. A delicious odor was wafted upon the autumn breeze. Everywhere the barnyard citizens sniffed the air with delight.

The Red Hen ambled in her picketty-pecketty way toward the source of all this excitement.

Although she appeared to be perfectly calm, in reality she could only with difficulty restrain an impulse to dance and sing, for had she not done all the work on this wonderful bread?

Small wonder that she was the most excited person in the barnyard!

She did not know whether the bread would be fit to eat, but—joy of joys!—when the lovely brown loaves came out of the oven, they were done to perfection.

Then, probably because she had acquired the habit, the Red Hen called:

“Who will eat the Bread?”

All the animals in the barnyard were watching hungrily and smacking their lips in anticipation, and

the Pig said, “I will,” the Cat said, “I will,” the Rat said, “I will.”

But the Little Red Hen said, “No, you won't. I will.”

And she did.

[silverdragon129]

I made a children story called the shy beetle and you can read it over at wattpad or here on my tumblr. Here’s the like to the story at wattpad if you want to read it there. I hope you all like it.

If you want, you can donate at wattpad if you like the story a lot and want to show your appreciation and support me. I’ll really appreciate it.

[dercolaris]

Rufus

I don't think I've ever told here on Tumblr that I'm writing for a children's magazine. Yes - I. The horror writer who’s not saving on blood, guts and disturbing themes. 

I mainly write about Rufus, a little bear with asperger who discovers his world with his own view and ideas. He often makes small mistakes in a world of people without asperger, but these can always be lovingly cleared up by his family and friends. Maybe you want to give it a try :) 

It’s the start of a new year. A year full of things to learn, to understand and – above all – to discover. You are no different than Rufus, the little bear cub. That's why we're starting 2023 with a small ‘upside-down’ story. Listen well.

The little bear paws wobbled a little under the great exertion. As they slid an inch deep into the sandy bottom at an unexpectedly rapid pace, Rufus snorted loudly and tried to take another 'step' forward just as quickly as he sank into the ground. The really unusual handstand of the little bear cub in the cool sand was a funny sight on the almost empty beach at the Baltic Sea. "Just a little further," the bear muttered to himself with high effort, putting his furry paw in front of him again. Out of nowhere, a rough wind blew across the empty beach, making Rufus stagger even more than before.

A loud scream later, the bear cub lay on his back in surprise, his eyes stare into the white cotton candy like clouds. He started laughing and rubbed the silky sand from his paws. Suddenly, a white head of a beautiful seagull appeared just inches above him. The bird with the yellow beak examined the bear cub upside down for a while and then asked curiously: "May I ask what you're doing here, little bear? I've been watching you for almost half an hour, but I can't make sense of your unique handstand."

Rufus stretched out in the sand and explained calmly: "You know, Mister Seagull, I’ve some trouble understanding my brother and his constant desire to play and romp around the house. It bothers me, sometimes I'm even mad at him when he keeps coming to me. That's why my dad told me today that I should try to change the perspective every now and then to understand him better. I thought about this for a while and decided that the world sure looks completely different upside down. I'm trying to do that right now." The seagull hopped around the little bear a few times and happily exclaimed: "Ohh, what an interesting idea. Would you mind if I take part?”

"You're welcome, Mister Seagull," Rufus replied as he slowly sat up. The bear cub putted his paws on the sand again and pushed off powerfully with his legs, carefully balancing out his body. The bird did the same with its wings, the thin legs stretched high towards the blue sky. Headfirst, both animals made their way somewhat unsteadily towards the water. The seagull clattered its beak in a laugh and spoke loudly: “You are right, little bear. The world really looks different when everything is upside down. How exciting!" After a few unsuccessful attempts, they made their way to the quiet shore together.

There Rufus put his bear paws back on the ground and sat on the cool sand, gazing out at the sunset on the horizon. The bird rose to its feet again, but gracefully flapped onto the little bear's head. Rufus could feel the gull's webs and looked up, but only saw the underside of the beak from this position. After a while, his newfound friend asked with interest: "So? Can you understand your bear brother better now after this experience, little bear?” Rufus scratched the back of his head very gently. He finally shook his head disappointed.

Both animals watched the sunset for a while as the seagull calmly explained_ “There are so many ways to change perspective, little bear. Sometimes just imagining you are your brother is enough to get a glimpse of what is happening in his head. Then maybe a reaction from him makes a lot more sense than before and you're not as angry anymore. Do you know what I mean by that?” The bear cub looked ahead at the horizon again and blinked. He answered slowly: "It makes sense, yes. Did my dad mean this change of perspective, Mister Seagull?" The bird said nothing to this question, but Rufus had found his answer long ago. He said quietly: "I think my brother only wants to play with me so much because he really loves me and enjoys it. He doesn't mean it at all when he’s rude.” When the last rays of sun disappeared behind the horizon, his anger at his brother had magically disappeared.

// That’s Rufus, by the way :3 

[fireember345]

I fixed my Book

Hush Little Rabbit, It's Time to Sleep has been fixed and now is available.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hush-little-rabbit-its-time-to-sleep-angel-erwin/1144587072;jsessionid=85F2A16EBA519A066A1D29862BB7BEB3.prodny_store02-atgap10?ean=9798855698442

[noam-easter-bunny]

Vampire Noam Fall Garden

[babylearners]

Stories for Kids - Little Sura and Friends - Shark, Dolphin and Friends

[asprinkleofpeppermint]

Peter Rabbit scrapbook.

[pink-tin]

The Shiny One

A little girl is curious. Why is the shiny one hiding under the blanket with a torch? Is she scared? She explains it to her mother how the shiny one is hiding under the big blue blanket.

Chapter 1 She is Hiding, Mamma! “She shines so bright. Look at her, Mamma! She shines so bright!” quipped the little girl, pointing at the star shining outside her window. “Oh yes, she does.” the mother smiled fondly at her child. Her innocent quips and questions always amused her. “Do you think she is scared?” asked the little girl, her little pudgy hands resting on her chubby cheeks,…

[treasureplcnet]

(lia voice) rolan you're 26. you should be at the pub

[loveinstreams]

like don’t you get it? by hunting ghosts you become a part of them. a presence that lingers. the memories you are making here right now is also what will survive of this place. it’s also what will haunt it.

[silverdragon129]

The shy beetle

There was a blue beetle named Bob. Bob was a happy kid beetle. He loved to play and have fun. He was also kinda wacky and had trouble understanding things sometimes, but he didn’t care, he just wanted to explore and learn new things.

Bob went to small bug school to learn about many things. From learning about the different foods there are to eat, to learning about numbers and how to use them. Bob actually didn’t mind going to school. He found it fun and interesting.

Sometimes the other bugs ask Bob if he wants to play with them. Bob liked to play with the other bugs. They played bug ball, tether ball, handball, and hide and seek. He also worked with the other bugs on team assignments in class.

Bob was happy. He met many good bugs, had so much fun, and learned so many things. He wouldn’t change a thing. He enjoyed spending time with other bugs.

But that changed when Bob went to medium bug school. Bob heard of other bugs doing bad things like stealing, fighting, and having dangerous fun. Bob didn’t want to be like them, so he decided to not talk to nor hangout with them. He would only focus on school work.

That’s how it was for Bob for his entire medium bug school days. He’ll do his school work in class by himself, he’ll eat alone during lunch, and just be by himself everyday in school. The only time he spends time with the other bugs is when there is a group project and have to join with the other bugs. Other than that, he just spends his time alone, away from the other bugs.

After medium bug school, Bob went to big bug school. At first he stayed the same, but after a while he began to play with the other bugs more. During sports class, he began to join certain bugs he’d gotten used to for sports playing. He also began to play card games with them during free time. He liked playing and hanging out with them, he had so much fun.

One day Bob saw one of them get a game ready for the other bugs. Bob decided to join them and had a lot of fun, so he decided to join them every lunch time to play. He was having so much fun, he even played with them after school. That was the first time he played with someone after school and was glad he did. Bob realized how much fun it is to play with other bugs and hangout with them.

Bob had so much fun playing and spending time with them, he learned that not all bugs are bad. Even with all the stuff he heard about other bugs, he realized that not all bugs are like that. That he should give more bugs a chance. With the bugs he met and had fun with playing, he was more open to talk to and make the other bugs their friend.

https://ko-fi.com/post/The-shy-beetle-J3J2CSU4W?justpublished=true&alias=The-shy-beetle-J3J2CSU4W

[fireember345]

Hush Little Rabbit, It's Time to Sleep is finally out

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hush-little-rabbit-its-time-to-sleep-angel-erwin/1144587072;jsessionid=85F2A16EBA519A066A1D29862BB7BEB3.prodny_store02-atgap10?ean=9798855698442

[whalesfall]

btw. your search for the most morally upright and ethical piece of media that has the most correct “representation” will destroy your ability to find the most profound and beautiful and human of stories. and may even destroy the stories themselves before they are created. if you even care.