The Little Red Hen

I don't know if you know the story of The Little Red Hen? I think it is worth retelling.

The little red hen found some wheat seeds and asked if her friends would help her plant them. (In the traditional story there are usually three of them, other farm animals such as a pig, a duck, a cat, a rat, and so on.) They all answered her, "Not I!" So she did it herself.

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When the wheat was ripe she asked her friends who would help her harvest it? "Not I," they all answered her. So she did it herself.

"Who will help me take it to the mill to be ground into flour?" she asked. Again it was a chorus of "Not I!" from her lazy friends. So she did it herself.

"Who will help me mix and knead the bread?" she asked. Her friends thought that was too much work. "Not I." they all said. So she did it herself.

When the bread was done baking the aroma drew all her friends to her kitchen door. "Who would like to help me eat this bread?" asked the little red hen. "We will!" said her friends eagerly.

"I bet you would if you could!" said the little red hen as she closed the kitchen door. And she and her chicks had a fine meal of freshly made bread.

As a child this story made an impression on me - do the work and reap the benefits. If you don't do the work you can't expect to get what others have worked for.

Do you think this is still a good lesson for us to teach our children?
Or does it seem too harsh and even selfish?