Three Fables - Again

Republished from February 2009. Still applicable to the "new" jobs bill/stimulation package.

There were once three fables that were taught in school.

One was about a little red hen and her hard work and it went like this:

The little Red Hen was in the farmyard with her chicks, when she found a grain of wheat.

"Who will plant this wheat?" she said.

"Not I," said the Goose.

"Not I," said the Duck.

"I will, then," said the little Red Hen, and she planted the grain of wheat.

When the wheat was ripe she said, "Who will take this wheat to the mill?"

"Not I," said the Goose.

"Not I," said the Duck.

"I will, then," said the little Red Hen, and she took the wheat to the mill.

When she brought the flour home she said, "Who will make some bread with this flour?"

"Not I," said the Goose.

"Not I," said the Duck.

"I will, then," said the little Red Hen.

When the bread was baked, she said, "Who will eat this bread?"

"I will," said the Goose

"I will," said the Duck

"No, you won't," said the little Red Hen. "I shall eat it myself. Cluck! cluck!" And she called her chicks to help her.

And the other fable from Aesop and was about a man with an amazing goose:

A Man and his Wife had the good fortune to possess a Goose which laid a Golden Egg every day. Lucky though they were, they soon began to think they were not getting rich fast enough, and, imagining the bird must be made of gold inside, they decided to kill it in order to secure the whole store of precious metal at once. But when they cut it open they found it was just like any other goose. Thus, they neither got rich all at once, as they had hoped, nor enjoyed any longer the daily addition to their wealth.

Moral: Much wants more and loses all.

Those fables taught hard work, responsibility, stewardship and the danger of greed. Then there was the fable about fear:

Chicken Little was in the woods one day when an acorn fell on her head. It scared her so much she trembled all over. She shook so hard, half her feathers fell out.

Chicken Little was so scared she started shouting: "Help! Help! The sky is falling! I have to go tell the king!"

So she ran in great fright to tell the king. Along the way she met Henny Penny.

Henny Penny asked, "Where are you going, Chicken Little?"

Chicken Little yelled, "Oh, help! The sky is falling!"

Henny Penny asked, "How do you know?"

Chicken Little replied, "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"

Henny Penny yelled, "This is terrible, just terrible! We'd better hurry up."

So they both ran away as fast as they could. Soon they met Ducky Lucky.

Ducky Lucky asked, "Where are you going, Chicken Little and Henny Penny?"

Chicken Little & Henny Penny yelled, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling! We're going to tell the king!"

Ducky Lucky asked, "How do you know?"

Chicken Little replied, "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head."

Ducky Lucky joined in the yelling, "Oh dear, oh dear! We'd better run!"

So they all ran down the road as fast as they could. Soon they met Goosey Loosey walking down the roadside.

Goosey Loosey seeing the group said, "Hello there. Where are you all going in such a hurry?"

Chicken Little shouted, "We're running for our lives!"

Henny Penny shouted, "The sky is falling!"

Ducky Lucky yelled, "And we're running to tell the king!"

Goosey Loosey asked, "How do you know the sky is falling?"

Chicken Little yelled, "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"

Goosey Loosey joined in the yelling and shouting, "Goodness! Then I'd better run with you."

And they all ran in great fright across a field. Before long they met Turkey Lurkey strutting back and forth..

Turkey Lurkey said, "Hello there, Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, and Goosey Loosey. Where are you all going in such a hurry?"

Chicken Little screamed, "Help! Help!"

Henny Penny shouted, "We're running for our lives!"

Ducky Lucky quacked, "The sky is falling!"

Goosey Loosey yelled, "And we're running to tell the king!"

Turkey Lurkey asked, "How do you know the sky is falling?"

Chicken Little yelled, "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"

Turkey Lurkey joined in the noise, "Oh dear! I always suspected the sky would fall someday. I'd better run with you."

So they ran with all their might, until they met Foxy Loxy.

Foxy Loxy slyly asked. "Well, well. Where are you rushing on such a fine day?"

Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey (together) all yelled, "Help! Help!" It's not a fine day at all. The sky is falling, and we're running to tell the king!"

Foxy Loxy was surprised, but asked, "How do you know the sky is falling?"

Chicken Little shouted, "I saw it with my own eyes, and heard it with my own ears, and part of it fell on my head!"

Foxy Loxy saw an opportunity and said, "I see. Well then, follow me, and I'll show you the way to the king."

So Foxy Loxy led Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, and Turkey Lurkey across a field and through the woods. He led them straight to his den, and they never saw the king to tell him that the sky is falling.

As the latest "Economic Stimulus Plan" is being urged to end our current alleged economic "sky is falling" catastrophe, it might be a good idea to keep these three fables in mind.

Hard work, patience and courage will win the day over laziness, greed and fear. Especially fear mongered by foxes.

Don't panic. And don't follow any sly foxes offering quick solutions.