“The Little Red Hen” Sheet Music (pdf).
“The Little Red Hen” Karaoke (midi with lyrics).
Lyrics: Malvina Reynolds.
Tune: Malvina Reynolds.
The Little Red Hen finds a grain of wheat,
Says, “This looks good enough to eat,
But I’ll plant it instead and make me some bread.”
And she says to the other folks down the street,
“Who will help me plant this wheat?”
“Not I,” says the dog and cat.
“Not I,” says the mouse and rat.”
“I will then,” says the Little Red Hen.
And she did.
The sun shone bright, and the rain, it blew,
And the grain of wheat, it grew and grew.
It begun to sprout, and it headed out
Until it was ripe enough. She says,
“Who will help me harvest this stuff?”
“Not I,” says the dog and cat.
“Not I,” says the mouse and rat.
“I will then,” says the Little Red Hen.
And she did.
She lugged it to the miller to grind to flour
’Cause the others would furnish her no manpower.
And at baking time, they all declined
To help her with the job.
They were a doggone no good mob.
“Not I,” says the dog and cat.
“Not I,” says the mouse and rat.
“I will then,” says the Little Red Hen.
And she did.
That bread looked good, and it smelled so fine;
That gang came running and fell in line.
“We’ll do our part with all our heart
To help you eat this chow.”
She says, “I do not need you now.
I planted and hoed this grain of wheat.
Them that works not shall not eat.
That’s my credo,” the little bird said.
And that’s why they called her Red!