This is an email that was forwarded to me from a friend; it is a fun one:

The Spiritually Correct Story of the Little Red Hen

Diligence and faithfulness were the hallmarks of the Little Red Hen. She lived in a church-sponsored apartment complex that brought together animals from differing ethnic and socioeconomic strata. The pig, the duck and the cat dwelled with her but alas, they never did anything for the church. The pig liked to wallow in the mud and recite verses, the duck enjoyed the pond and quacked a few bars of favorite hymns, and the cat purred on the patio in the sunshine.

One day the Little Red Hen found a decision card lying on the ground. "Who will help me follow up this needy soul?" she asked.

"Not I," grunted the pig from the mud. "I'm working on my memory verse for the week, Proverbs 11:22."

"Not I," quacked the duck from the pond. "I'm only on the third stanza of 'Make Me a Blessing.'"

And she sang, "Give as 'twas given to you in your need..."

"Not I," purred the cat. "But I'll certainly pray for you."

So the Little Red Hen set off and made contact with the mare who had filled out the decision card. The horse was truly repentant, and so the Little Red Hen began discipling her.

The next week the Little Red Hen was cleaning the house when the pastor called and asked her to teach a Sunday School class.

"My, but I'm awfully busy," said the Little Red Hen. "But the tiny ones need a teacher desperately. If I can't find someone else, I'll do it."

"Who will help teach Sunday School?" asked the Little Red Hen.

"Not I," yawned the pig. "It's not my spiritual gift."

"Not I, quacked the duck. "I don't like the songs they sing."

"Not I," purred the cat. "I'm prioritizing my life."

"Very well, then, I will teach them myself," said the Little Red Hen. Carefully she prepared each week's lesson, collected yarn for craft time, discipled the mare and kept up with her daily chores. Soon the Little Red Hen was running to and fro like a chicken with it's...like the very busy chicken she was, when the doorbell rang. It was Mrs. Goose from across the courtyard, who was in charge of the piglet nursery.

"I don't see how I can possibly do another thing," sighed the Little Red Hen.

"But if you don't, we'll have to endure the grunting of so many little piglets in the worship service."

"We can't have that," said the Little Red Hen. "If I can't find someone to help, I'll do it."

By now the Little Red Hen was all but losing her sanctification toward the others, and the tone of her voice nearly scared one of the cat's lives completely out of her.

"Who will help in the nursery this week?" yelled the Little Red Hen.

"Not I," said the pig. "I am doing the Scripture reading."

"Not I," intoned the duck. "I have special music during the offertory."

"Not I," mewed the cat. "I am allergic to the filthy things."

"Very well," said the Little Red Hen. "I will do it myself."

Sunday afternoon came, and the Little Red Hen was lying in a heap on the kitchen floor, suffering from severe burnout. She was so exhausted she could not rise to make dinner for the household.

She heard a knock at the door and raised her head just in time to see the mare, her pastor and Mrs. Goose bringing a plate of fresh bread, hot corn on the cob and an apple pie.

"This is for your hard work and diligence," the three said. "You have been such an encouragement to us that we wanted to encourage you." And with that they left as quickly as they had come.

The cat, the duck and the pig appeared at the window, sniffing at the air hungrily.

"Who will help me eat my dinner?" asked the Little Red Hen.

"I will," grunted the pig.

"I will," quacked the duck.

"I'd rather have tuna, but I guess I will," purred the cat.

"I followed up the decision card," said the Little Red Hen. "I taught Sunday School, and I helped out with the piglets in the nursery. You three recited verses, sang and lay in the sun while I kept busy."

"Aw, come on, Little Red Hen," the pig said. "You know we're not as mature as you. Have a heart. We've learned our lesson." The duck and cat agreed.

"If I didn't care for you, I would gladly offer you an equal portion of my bounty," the Little Red hen said. "However, I do care and wish you to change your behavior."

And the Little Red Hen practiced tough love that day and ate the bread, the corn and the pie all by herself!