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The Sly Fox and the Little Red Hen

Based on a traditional folk tale
Retold by Mandy Ross

Once there was a little red hen. She lived in a little red henhouse, safe and sound, with a little blue door and windows all around. She was a happy hen. Every day she searched for grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. But then a sly young fox and his mother moved into a nearby den. The sly fox was always hungry. He licked his lips when he grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. And then the sly fox tried to catch the little red hen. He plotted and planned, again and again. But the little rend hen was clever. She always got away, with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. But then the sly fox thought up a very sly plan.

"Mother, boil some water in a pan," he said. "I'll bring home supper tonight."

Then he crept over to the little red henhouse. And he waited until at last the little red hen came out to search for grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck. Quick as a flash, the sly fox slipped into the henhouse. And he waited until the little red hen came hurrying home. As soon as she saw the fox, she flew up to the rafters. "You can't catch me now!" she laughed, with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck.

"All part of my plan," smiled the fox on the ground. And slowly he started to chase his tail, round and round and round and round, faster and raster…until the little red hen up in the rafters grew dizzy.

"Oh!" she clucked. "My poor head's spinning. I'm all in a tizzy." And she dropped down- plop!- straight into the fox's sack. "Ha!" laughed the fox. And then the fox slung the sack over his shoulder and set off for home with the little red hen. After a while, he stopped for a rest. The sun was warm and soon he was snoozing. "Now's my chance," whispered the little red hen, and out she crept without a peck, peck, peck or a cluck, cluck, cluck. Quickly she rolled some large stones into the sack and tied a knot at the top. Then she ran all the way home and didn't stop till she was safe in her little red henhouse. The fox woke up and went on his way, hungry for his supper.

"This hen is heavy!" he said to himself, licking his lips.

"She'll make a good meal."

"Is the pot boiling, Mother?" he called at the den. "Look who I've got! It's the little red hen."

"Throw her in, son," said his mother.

"She'll make a nice snack."

So the sly fox opened up the sack. Into the boiling water crashed the stones with a SPLASH!

And that was the end of the sly fox and his mother. And the little red hen lived happily ever after in her little red henhouse, searching for grain with a peck, peck, peck and a cluck, cluck, cluck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack and the Beanstalk

Based on a traditional folk tale
Retold by Iona Treahy

Once there was a boy called Jack who lived with his mother. They were so poor that she said to him one day, "We'll have to sell our cow- it's the only way."

So Jack took the cow to market. On the way, Jack met a stranger. "I'll give you five beans for that cow," she said. "They're magic beans…"

"Done!" said Jack. But when he got back…

"Five beans for our cow?" cried his mother. And she threw them out of the window. All through the night, a beanstalk grew…and grew… till it right out of sight. Before his mother could say a word, Jack climbed…and climbed…and he didn't stop till he reached…the top. There Jack saw a giant castle. He knock- knock- knocked, and a giantess opened the door.

Inside, Jack could hear a thumping and a banging and a stamping and a crashing!

"Quick," said the giantess. "Hide!" My husband is hungry!"

"Fee, fi, fo, fum! Watch out everyone, HERE I COME!" roared the giant.

The giant sat down for his supper. He ate a hundred boiled potatoes, and a hundred chocolate biscuits. And then, feeling a bit happier, he got out his gold.

The giant started counting his coins, but soon…he was snoozing. Jack snatched the gold and raced down the beanstalk.

"Gold!" cried Jack's mother when she saw what he'd got. "We're not poor any more!" But Jack wanted to go back up the beanstalk. The next day he climbed…and climbed… and he didn't stop till he reached the top. Inside the castle, Jack hid when he heard…a thumping and a banging and a stamping and a crashing. "Fee, fi, fo, fum! Watch out everyone, HERE I COME!" roared the giant. The giant sat down for his supper. He ate two hundred baked potatoes, and two hundred jellies. And then, feeling a bit happier, he got out his hen that laid golden eggs. The hen started laying, but soon…the giant was snoozing. Jack snatched the hen and raced down the beanstalk.

"Golden eggs from a golden hen!" cried Jack's mother.

"Now we'll never be poor again!" The next day, Jack climbed the beanstalk once more.

"Fee, fi, fo, fum! Watch out everyone, HERE I COME!" roared the giant.

The giant sat down for his supper. He ate three hundred roast potatoes, and three hundred cream cakes. And then, feeling a bit happier, he got out his silver harp.

The harp sang him lullabies, and soon… the giant was snoozing. Jack snatched the harp and raced down the beanstalk. But the harp called out, "Master! Master!"

The giant woke up and started to chase after Jack.

"Bring the axe, Mother!" shouted Jack as he neared the ground. Then he chopped and he chopped and didn't stop till…CRASH! Down came the beanstalk and the giant. And with the gold and the hard and the eggs and the hen, Jack and his mother were never poor again.