The Wise Little Hen

We have talked about the usefulness of fairy tales in elementary education, and even had a conference by a swedish teacher about it.

In that conference, we talked about how the tales are a good way to give children vocabulary, use of the languaje and feedback in which they talk and repeat from the very begin.

And we saw some examples of tales: one of them was the performance of Pie Corbett telling the tale "The little red hen" to children:

There we saw how he, using his particular tones and with the help of a map, made the children enter in the story and living it. Tales with repetition of action sequences are very good for little children because reinforces their previous knowledge and introduces new vocabulary and sequences.

About the tale of "the little red hen" we take this opportunity to provide a historical curiosity about animated cinema which will like the children: "The wise little hen" a 1934 short cartoon by Disney where Donald Duck makes his very first appearance:

The character the character was not yet configured or had defined their personality traits but we can see his classic sailor suit and his particular voice, created by Clarence Nash, who provided Donald Duck's voice in original english and in spanish doubt till his death in 1985.

Donald's function is only to play the role of one of the lazy friends of the hen, with the final lesson about the importance of working.

The character became so popular than appeared in next Disney shorts, like "The band concert" (1935):

His personality was redefined and his physical appearance evolutioned to the actual character we know. But the begining was "The little red hen" whose lyrics are this:

Wise Little Hen Lyrics

Chorus:
There once was a wise little hen
Who worried now and then
For fear that she'd be found in need
When winter came again

With a basket full of corn
She started out for more
She could go get the friends she met
to help her plant her corn

Who'll help her plant her corn?
Who'll help her plant her corn?
Gay Peter Pig who's strong and big
Might help her plant her corn

Wise Little Hen:
Will you help me plant my corn?
Will you help me plant my corn?

Peter Pig:
Who, me? Oh, no
I have a bellyache

Chorus:
Who'll help her plant her corn?
Who'll help her plant her corn?
If Donald Duck has any pluck
He'll help her plant her corn

Wise Little Hen:
Will you help me plant my corn?
Will you help me plant my corn?

Donald Duck:
Who, me? Oh, no
I got a bellyache

Chorus:
Who'll help her plant her corn?
Who'll help her plant her corn?
She might have known that she alone
Would have to plant her corn

Who'll help her harvest corn?
Who'll help her harvest corn?
Perhaps her friends will condescend
To help her harvest corn

Wise Little Hen:
Will you help me harvest corn?
Will you help me harvest corn?

Peter Pig:
Who, me? Oh, no

Donald Duck:
We got a bellyache

Chorus:
Who'll help her harvest corn?
Who'll help her harvest corn?
She might have known that she alone
Would have to harvest corn

Oh me oh me oh my

Just look at what that little hen's got
Mmm, does that look good
There'll soon be muffins and cakes galore
Cornpones and fritters by the score
More cornbread than I've seen before
Mm-mmm do I feel hungry
Yum yum yum
Oh me oh me oh my

Corn on the cob with gobs and gobs of melted butter oozing round and round
Corn soup enough to feed and stuff an army
Boy oh boy

Who'll help her eat her corn?
Who'll help her eat her corn?
Perhaps her friends will condescend
To help her eat her corn

Wise Little Hen:
Will you help me eat my corn?
Will you help me eat my corn?

Peter Pig:
Who, me?

Donald Duck:
Oh boy oh boy oh boy
And how

Chorus:
She'll eat the corn herself
She'll eat the corn herself
Fa la la la la la la la
She'll eat the corn herself
She'll eat the corn herself
Although her friends now see the light
They've nothing but an appetite
While they repent with all their might
She'll eat the corn herself
She'll eat the corn herself
She'll eat the corn herself

........................................................................................................................

We can use this material to class, giving children the lyrics and using short cartoons to teach them, making the class more funny and interactive, and using media and different exercises to it.