Once, a hen had three friends: a duck, a cat and a dog. Now one day, the hen found some seeds of wheat. “Who amongst you will sow the seeds?” she asked her friends. “Not me, friend,” refused the duck. “Nor can I,” declined the cat. “Count me out,” the dog said. So, the hen sowed the seeds. When the wheat was ready for harvest, she asked her friends, “Who amongst you wishes to harvest the wheat?” All three refused once again. So, the hen harvested the wheat all by herself. Then, she also ground the wheat and baked delicious bread. Sniffing the aroma, all three of her friends came to have a bite. But the hen refused saying, “None of you helped me! I worked hard all alone. Now, only my children and I will eat this bread!” The three friends hung their heads in shame and went away.
Moral: There are no gains without pains.
The Hen and her Friends
