Chicken Little
European Folktale
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Retold by The Legendary Connection
TLC#00092
One bright autumn morning, Chicken Little was out for a stroll under the big blue sky. The leaves were fluttering down like golden confetti, and the air was crisp and sweet. Chicken Little was a small, round, rather nervous sort of bird. He was always peeping and clucking and checking the sky, just in case.
As she pecked around near the edge of the woods, looking for a tasty acorn or two, something most unexpected happened.
Plonk!
An acorn fell from a tree and landed right on her head!
“Oh my goodness! Oh my gracious!” cried Chicken Little, leaping three feet in the air. “The sky is falling! The sky is falling! I must run and tell the king!”
So off she went, her little feet pattering along the forest path, her feathers fluffed up in fright. Soon, she met her friend Henny Penny, who was scratching at the ground for worms.
“Where are you going in such a flutter, Chicken Little?” asked Henny Penny.
“Oh, Henny Penny! The sky is falling! It bonked me right on the head! I’m going to tell the king!”
Henny Penny's eyes grew wide. “Oh dear, oh dear! We mustn’t waste time! I’ll come with you!”
So the two hurried down the path together, flap, flutter, peep, and cluck, off to warn the king. As they went, they ran into Ducky Lucky, who was waddling toward the pond.
“Where are you two going in such a dash?” he asked, tilting his head.
“Oh, Ducky Lucky,” cried Chicken Little, “the sky is falling! It hit me on the head! We’re going to tell the king!”
“Oh my feathers!” said Ducky Lucky. “That is terrible news! I’d better come along too.”
So now there were three, Chicken Little, Henny Penny, and Ducky Lucky, marching with great urgency to find the king. Before long, they came upon Goosey Loosey, who was honking and stretching her wings in the morning sun.
“Why the rush?” she asked, blinking.
“The sky is falling!” cried Chicken Little. “It bonked me right on the head! We’re going to tell the king!”
“Well, I never!” honked Goosey Loosey. “That’s the worst news I’ve heard all day! Count me in!”
So off they all went, peep, cluck, quack, honk, through the woods, deeper and deeper, determined to find the king. Now, as they hurried along, making quite the noisy parade, they caught the attention of someone watching from the shadows. It was Foxy Loxy. He was sleek and clever, with a glint in his eye and a sly smile on his face. He listened carefully to their chatter, then stepped out onto the path, brushing the leaves off his fine red coat.
“Well, well, well,” said Foxy Loxy, bowing low. “What seems to be the trouble, dear friends?”
Chicken Little stopped so fast she almost tumbled over. “Oh, Foxy Loxy! The sky is falling! It hit me on the head! We’re on our way to tell the king!”
“My stars!” said Foxy Loxy, eyes twinkling. “Such news! But my dear, you’re heading the wrong way entirely. The king lives beyond the forest, you see, through my cozy den. Why don’t you all follow me? I know a shortcut.”
The birds hesitated. Something about the fox’s grin made their feathers bristle just a little. But Chicken Little was in such a hurry, and Henny Penny looked uncertain, and Ducky Lucky said, “Well, I am getting tired of all this walking,” and Goosey Loosey just shrugged.
So they followed Foxy Loxy into the woods, deeper and darker than before. He led them to where the trees grew close, and the light grew dim. Foxy Loxy led the way, humming to himself, his bushy tail swishing behind him. Soon, they came upon a hollow in the ground, hidden among the roots of a great oak.
“Here we are!” said Foxy Loxy cheerfully. “The royal shortcut!”
He motioned for them to go inside. But just as Chicken Little was about to step in, a rustle came from the bushes. Out popped Turkey Perky, the watchful old bird who lived on the edge of the woods and had seen many things in his day.
“Stop right there!” gobbled Turkey Perky. “Don’t follow that fox! That’s not a path to the king. It’s his den! He’s leading you into a trap!”
The birds froze. Foxy Loxy’s smile vanished. “Oh, nonsense,” he growled. But his eyes had lost their twinkle.
Chicken Little looked at the hole, then at the fox, then back at her friends. “I-I think he’s right,” she whispered.
Without another word, the little group turned and ran back down the path faster than they’d ever moved before. Peeping, clucking, quacking, and honking all the way back to safety. Foxy Loxy, seeing his plan foiled, slunk back into the shadows, his tail twitching in frustration.
When they were safe and sound again in the sunny meadow, Turkey Perky shook his head and said gently, “Sometimes, when we’re afraid, we rush headlong into danger without stopping to think. Always ask questions, and never follow a fox into the woods.”
Chicken Little blushed. “I suppose the sky might not really be falling,” she said.
“Maybe it was just an acorn,” said Henny Penny.
“It did sound like a bonk,” added Ducky Lucky.
Goosey Loosey gave Chicken Little a nudge. “Next time, let’s take a deep breath before we panic.”
And so they all laughed, a little embarrassed but very relieved.
From that day on, Chicken Little was still cautious, but she was a little braver and a little wiser, too.
And the sky? Well, it stayed right where it was, high above, with not even a wobble.
Moral:
Don’t believe everything you hear in a moment of panic. Stop, think, and check the facts before rushing to conclusions, or you might end up in real trouble.
Source: Pyle, Katharine. Mother’s Nursery Tales, Told and Illustrated by Katharine Pyle. E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY, 1918. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/49001/pg49001-images.html#Page_152
