This week I was talking with a patron where I work at the sports complex, about the shoddy workmanship given by certain contractors during our recent two week shutdown.
His comment was that nobody wants to work hard anymore to do a good job. He excels in the custom work he does because he makes the extra effort and is rewarded for it with repeat customers.
The shoddy work is because people fail to recognize the value in giving their best effort.
I came across an article Wally wrote for The Orchard Run on August 7 1975 entitled The Little Red Hen, which addresses value and effort. There was a lengthy preamble before the fable but I won’t go into that.
Once upon a time there was a Little Red Hen who was a free ranger. In her scratching she uncovered some grains of wheat. She had an idea, she called all her barnyard neighbors together and said, “If we work together and plant this wheat we will have some fine bread later on. Who will help me plant this wheat?”
“Not I,”said the cow. “not I”, said the duck. “Not I”, said the pig. “Not I”, said the goose. “Then I guess I will”, said The Little Red Hen and she did.
The wheat started growing, the ground turned dry. “Who will help me water the wheat?” said The Little Red Hen. “Not I !”, said the cow, the duck, the pig, and the goose. “Then I will,” said The Little Red Hen and she did.
The wheat grew into tall golden grain. Now she said, “Who will help me harvest the wheat? Not I,” said the cow and the duck. “Out of my classification,” said the pig, “I’d lose my aid to Independent Children,” said the goose.”Then I will,” said The Little Red Hen, and she did.
The time came to grind the grain into flour – “I’d lose my unemployment compensation,” said the cow, and the others found excuses too.
The time came to bake the bread. “That’s overtime for me,” said the cow. “I’m a dropout,” said the duck. “I never learned how,” said the pig. “If I’m the only one that is discrimination,” said the goose. “Then I’ll do it myself,” said The Little Red Hen and she did.
She baked five loaves of fine bread and held them up for her neighbors to see. “I want some!” said the cow, the duck, the pig, and the goose. “No” said The Little Red Hen,”I’m going to rest awhile then eat my five loaves myself.”
“Excess profits!” cried the cow. “Capitalistic leech!” quacked the duck. “Company fink” grunted the pig. “Equal rights!” screamed the goose. They hurriedly painted a picket sign and marched around The Little Red Hen singing “we shall overcome”, and you know, they did.
When the farmer came to investigate the commotion he said, “you must not be greedy Little Red Hen! Look at the oppressed cow; look at the disadvantaged duck; look at the underprivileged pig; look at the less fortunate goose. You are guilty of making second class citizens out of them all.”
“But…but” said The Little Red Hen, I planted, watered, reaped, ground, and baked, I earned this bread! Exactly!” said the farmer. “That is the wonderful free enterprise system. Anybody can earn as much as he wants. You should be happy to have this freedom. In other barnyards you would have to give all five loaves to the farmer.”
“Here you give four loaves to your long suffering neighbors and keep one for yourself. You should be grateful.”
But her neighbors wondered why she never baked any more bread.
End of Wally’s column.
Her neighbors failed to see value in their combined effort so they failed before they even tried.