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The Little Red Hen
The Little Red Hen retells the classic farmyard tale in English and Persian. A busy mother hen finds a wheat seed and asks the Pig, the Cat and the Rat for help at every step, planting, cutting, threshing, taking it to the mill and baking, and each time hears the same answer. Repetitive and easy to follow, it is a 26-page PDF by Reza Nazari.
A short repeating tale that young children can join in on
Every step of The Little Red Hen follows the same pattern: the hen asks a question, the Pig, the Cat and the Rat all say “Not I,” and she does the job herself. That rhythm is what makes the story work so well for small children, who start saying the answer before you turn the page.
This version keeps the hen busy with her chicks between jobs. She feeds them, puts them down for naps, brings them worms on the way back from the mill, and only then bakes the bread. In the Persian, the animals answer in everyday spoken Farsi, «من نمی‌تونم» (man nemitunam, I can’t), which children hear at home.
At a glance
About the story
The story
A hen finds a seed, learns it is wheat that can become bread, and asks for help five times as the wheat is planted, cut, threshed, ground into flour and baked.
What children learn
That work shared is work made lighter, and that people who refuse to help should not expect to share the reward.
How the Persian is written
Plain Persian narration without vowel marks, with the animals’ replies and questions in spoken Farsi, such as «کی می‌تونه دونه رو بکاره؟» (Who will plant the seed?).
Good for
A first bilingual story for preschool and early school years, and for children learning farm animals and food words.
Sample lines
Four lines from the book, with its English:
| Persian | English |
|---|---|
| او عاشق یافتن کرم‌های خوشمزه برای جوجه‌هایش بود. | She adored finding yummy worms for her baby chicks. |
| او فهمید که این دانه‌ی گندم است و در صورت کاشت و رشد می‌تواند به نان تبدیل شود. | She learned it was a Wheat Seed and could be turned into bread if planted and grown. |
| همه گفتند: «من نمی‌تونم». | They all said, “Not I.” |
| پس مرغ قرمز کوچولو پیش‌بند و کلاه خود را پوشید و شروع کرد به نان درست کردن. | So, the Little Red Hen put on her apron and cap and started making bread. |
The narration is written Persian; the animals’ replies are spoken Farsi, as a family would say them.
Reading it together
- Read it through once in English so your child knows the pattern.
- On the second reading, you read the hen’s question in Persian and your child answers «من نمی‌تونم» for the Pig, the Cat and the Rat.
- Point to the animals in the pictures and name them: مرغ (morgh, hen), خوک (khuk, pig), گربه (gorbe, cat), موش (mush, rat).
- Bake something simple together and talk about the steps from wheat to bread. The free animal words on our vocabulary page add more names.
Who this book is for
A good fit if you
- have a preschooler or early reader who likes stories that repeat
- want a short tale you can read in one sitting, in both languages
- want your child to hear everyday spoken Farsi as well as written Persian
Look elsewhere if you
- want a longer story for an older child; The Ugly Duckling runs to 47 pages
- are looking for a word book rather than a story; Let’s Learn Farsi: Animals and Insects teaches one word per picture
Use it with
- The Turnip: another farm tale, this time about everyone pulling together.
- Farsi Children Books Bundle: this story and the other kids books together.
Common questions
What age is it for?
About 4 to 7. It is one of the shorter books in the series, and the repeated lines make it easy for young children to join in.
Is the Persian formal or spoken?
Both. The storyteller’s lines are standard written Persian, and the animals speak the way people talk in Iran, for example «من نمی‌تونم».
How does this version end?
Like the classic: when the bread is ready, everyone suddenly wants to help eat it.
What do I get after I buy?
A 26-page PDF of The Little Red Hen to download right after checkout, to read on a tablet or computer or print at home.
Is there a paperback?
Yes. The printed book is on Amazon; here you buy the PDF.
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