Not I, Said The Cabin Guest

This little red hen was fed up.

- Christy Heitger-ewing

When I was 6 years old, I adored the story of “The Little Red Hen.” As a kid who didn’t much care for manual labor, I got a kick out of the fact that every time the Little Red Hen asked her friends to help her with a chore, they declined.

“Not I!” said the duck.

“Not I!” said the goose.

“Not I!” said the cat.

“Not I!” said the pig.

Though no one in the lazy bunch wanted to lift a finger to help their pal make a loaf of bread, they each tripped over their tongues with an offer to eat it. I chuckled at the irony.

One summer at the cabin, however, “The Little Red Hen” didn’t seem so funny when the narrative hit close to home.

My husband and I had invited friends to the lake for a few days. Both the parents and their children couldn’t stop gushing about our relaxing getaway.

“This place is better than rainbows and glitter!” the daughter announced after tubing.

“This is the life!” the dad stated as he stretched out in the hammock.