Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who lived on a farm. She found some seeds and wanted to make bread.
"Who will help me plant these seeds?" she asked the lazy cat.
"Not I," meowed the cat. "I'd rather take a nap."
"Who will help me harvest the wheat?" she asked the dog.
"Not I," barked the dog. "I'd rather chase squirrels."
The little red hen planted and harvested the wheat all by herself.
"Who will help me grind the wheat into flour?" she asked the pig.
"Not I," grunted the pig. "I'd rather roll in the mud."
So the little red hen ground the wheat into flour all by herself.
"Who will help me bake the bread?" she asked the cat, dog, and pig.
"Not I," they all said, still busy with their lazy activities.
The little red hen baked the bread all by herself.
"Who will help me eat the bread?" she asked.
"I will," said the cat, dog, and pig.
"No, you won't," said the little red hen. "I will eat the bread myself. It's my bread because I worked hard to make it!"
And the little red hen happily ate her delicious bread all by herself.
---
This classic children's story is a great example of narrative fiction because it:
* Tells a story: It has a clear beginning, middle, and end, with events happening in a specific order.
* Features characters: The little red hen, the cat, the dog, and the pig are distinct characters with different personalities.
* Has a plot: There's a conflict (the hen wanting help with her tasks) and a resolution (she eats the bread herself).
* Uses vivid language: The story uses sensory details ("meowed," "barked," "grunted") to create a picture in the reader's mind.
* Contains a moral: The story teaches us about hard work and the importance of self-reliance.
Many other stories, from children's books to novels, use these elements of narrative fiction.