Chicken little fairytale

Read by Elizabeth. Duration 7.51.
Proofread by Claire Deakin.

Chicken Little

Hello, This is Elizabeth, and I am dropping by a story that has been requested by several our of listeners including two parents, Clare and Teresa, both on our Facebook group.

It’s a fun, fast-paced tale, but I have to warn you that if you really mind stories where sweet little animals get eaten up by bad foxes, then this really isn’t the story for you.

ONE day, Chicken Little was picking up corn in the cornyard when – whack! Something hit her upon the head. “Goodness gracious me!” said Chicken Little, “the sky’s a-going to fall. I must go and tell the big boss.”

So she went along and she went along and she went along until she met Cocky-locky. “Where are you going, Chicken Little?” said Cocky-Locky. “Oh! I’m going to tell the big boss the sky’s a-falling,” says Chicken Little. “May I come with you?” says Cocky-Locky. “Certainly,” said Chicken Little. So Chicken Little and Cocky-Locky went to tell the big boss the sky was falling.

They went along, and they went along, and they went along, until they met Ducky-daddles. “Where are you going to, Chicken Little and Cocky-Locky?” said Ducky-Daddles. “Oh! we’re going to tell the big boss the sky’s a-falling,” said Chicken Little and Cocky-Locky. “May I come with you?” says Ducky-Daddles. “Certainly,” said Chicken Little and Cocky-Locky. So Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky and Ducky-Daddles went to tell the big boss the sky was a-falling.

So they went along, and they went along, and they went along, till they met Goosey-Loosey, “Where are you going to, Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky and Ducky-Daddles?” Said Goosey-Loosey. “Oh! We’re going to tell the big boss the sky’s a-falling,” said Chicken Little and Cocky-Locky and Ducky-Daddles. “May I come with you?” Said Goosey-Loosey.

“Certainly,” said Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky and Ducky-Daddles. So Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles and Goosey-Loosey went to tell the big boss the sky was a-falling.

So they went along, and they went along, and they went along, until they met Turkey-Lurkey. “Where are you going, Chicken Little, Cocky- Locky, Ducky-Daddles, and Goosey-Loosey?” says Turkey-Lurkey. “Oh! we’re going to tell the big boss the sky’s a-falling,” said Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles and Goosey-Loosey. “May I come with you; Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles and Goosey-Loosey?” Said Turkey-lurkey. “Why, certainly, Turkey-Lurkey,” said Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, and Goosey-Loosey. So Chicken Little, Cocky- Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey and Turkey-Lurkey all went to tell the big boss the sky was a-falling.

So they went along, and they went along, and they went along, until they met Foxy-woxy, and Foxy-woxy said to Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey and Turkey-Lurkey, “Where are you going, Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey, and Turkey-Lurkey?” Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey, and Turkey-Lurkey said to Foxy-Woxy, “We’re going to tell the big boss the sky’s a-falling.”

“Oh! But this is not the way to the big boss, Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey and Turkey-Lurkey,” said Foxy-Woxy, “I know the proper way. Shall I show it to you?”

“Why certainly, Foxy-woxy,” said Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey, and Turkey-Lurkey. So Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey, Turkey-Lurkey, and Foxy-Woxy all went to tell the big boss the sky was a-falling. So they went along, and they went along, and they went along, until they came to a narrow and dark hole. Now this was the door of Foxy-Woxy’s cave. But Foxy-woxy said to Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey, and Turkey-Lurkey, “This is the short way to the big boss’s place. You’ll soon get there if you follow me. I will go first and you come after, Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey, and Turkey-Lurkey.”

“Why of course, certainly, without doubt, why not?” Said Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey, and Turkey-Lurkey.

So Foxy-Woxy went into his cave, and he didn’t go very far but turned around to wait for Chicken Little, Cocky-Locky, Ducky-Daddles, Goosey-Loosey and Turkey-Lurkey. First Turkey-Lurkey went through the dark hole into the cave. He hadn’t got far when “Hrumph,” Foxy-Woxy swallowed up Turkey-Lurkey.

Then Goosey-Loosey went in, and “Hrumph,” she was eaten too.

Then Ducky-Daddles waddled down, and “Hrumph,” snapped Foxy-Woxy, and Ducky-Daddles made the next course.

Then Cocky-Locky strutted down into the cave and he hadn’t gone far when “Snap, Hrumph!” went Foxy-Woxy.

But Foxy-Woxy had made two bites at Cocky-Locky, and when the first snap missed, he called out to Chicken Little. So she turned tail and ran back home. She never told the big boss the sky was a-falling

And that was the story of Chicken Little. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about sweet little animals getting eaten. Bertie says that Storynory listeners seem to fall into two sorts – those who are outraged that not all the animals get away and write in to complain – and those who like the traditional tales which are a little more true to life. This ones tells us not to coddle kids and to give them the real stuff straight from the storyteller’s mouth. You can always leave a comment and let us know where you stand on this great issue!

I thought you might like to know that we based our version on the English Tale by Joseph Jacobs where Chicken Little is actually called Henny-Penny, but as this story seems to be best known in America we used used the American name, Chicken Little. In some versions even Chicken Little doesn’t get away. In the Disney film of a few years ago, of course nobody gets eaten, so you can safely watch that one.

Does the story have a moral? Bertie says it’s hard to find, but perhaps it shows how mad mass panic only creates danger. Keep your head, so to speak, and you will keep your head.

For now, from me Elizabeth, Bye.

The Story of Chicken Little: The Sky is Falling

© Written by Tasha Guenther and illustrated by Leanne Guenther
Fairy tale based on the original story first collected by Danish librarian Just Mathias Thiele.

There was once a big farm near a vast field, and here there lived a hen named Penny. She was great friends with everyone, and those who knew her gave her many names.

She was a tiny hen. The other chickens in the yard would tease her for her size. They often termed her “Chicken Little.” While Penny surprisingly loved this name, her favorite thing to be called was “Henny-Penny,” given to her by the other fowls that lived nearby. The rhyme was perfect, it was sweet, and she liked it very much.

One morning, as Henny-Penny was plucking worms in the henyard, an acorn dropped from a tree right onto her head! She had no idea what had hit her, however, and so she started shouting:

“The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”

She ran around in circles for a while, calmed herself, and then got right to waddling—she had to alert the king!

She waddled and waddled and waddled until she found her excellent friend Rooster-Booster.

“What’s the matter, Henny-Penny?” he asked.

“Oh, Rooster-Booster, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! And we must alert the king!” she cried.

“Oh, we must, we must!” he cried back.

Henny-Penny and Rooster-Booster waddled and waddled and waddled until they saw their wonderful pal Ducky-Chucky.

Now, Ducky-Chucky was basking in the sun near the pond’s edge when he noticed the two chickens fast-approaching.

“Henny-Penny, Rooster-Booster: hello! Fine day, isn’t it?” Ducky-Chucky giggled and splashed into the water.

“Oh, Ducky-Chucky, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! And we must alert the king!” Henny-Penny exclaimed.

“Oh, we must, we must!” Rooster-Booster chimed in.

Ducky-Chucky bounded from the pond and joined his friends immediately. As he shook his little webbed feet free of water, he felt the warm sun dry them quickly and wondered how the sky could fall on a warm summer’s day such as this one.

He looked at the concern on his friends’ faces, nevertheless, and shrugged his wonders away.

Henny-Penny, Rooster-Booster, and Ducky-Chucky waddled and waddled and waddled until they met up with the brawny Goosie-Brucie floating with ease at the other end of the pond.

“Oh, Goosie-Brucie,” Henny-Penny began, “the sky is falling! The sky is falling! We must alert the king!”

“Oh, we must, we must!” Rooster-Booster chimed in.

Ducky-Chucky looked back up at the blazing sun and again wondered how the sky could fall on a warm summer’s day such as this one.

Goosie-Brucie wanted to protect his fowl friends, and he wanted to join them on their journey to the nearby palace, but he had a question about the sky above.

“Henny-Penny…” he started. “How do you know the sky is falling?”

“Well, it fell right on my head!” she answered.

Goosie-Brucie puffed his chest feathers instantly and moved right along, shrugging his question away.

Henny-Penny, Rooster-Booster, Ducky-Chucky, and Goosie-Brucie waddled and waddled and waddled until they came to the farm fence. They noticed the eccentric Turkey-Perky pecking on the other side.

“Oh, Turkey-Perky, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! We must alert the king!” Henny-Penny squealed.

“Oh, we must, we must!” Rooster-Booster chimed in.

Again, Ducky-Chucky, now hot as ever and missing his pond, wondered how the sky could fall on a warm summer’s day such as this one.

Goosie-Brucie again asked aloud, “How do we know the sky is falling?”

“It fell right on my head, I say, I say!” Henny-Penny shouted in desperation.

Now, Turkey-Perky stopped pecking and turned to the group:

“Rooster-Booster, did you see the sky fall?”

“No, I did not,” the rooster replied quietly.

“And, Ducky-Chucky, you look strained: how are you feeling?” Turkey-Perky asked.

“Well, I am concerned, I am hot, and I wonder how the sky could be falling on such a beautiful day,” he replied.

“And Goosie-Brucie,” Turkey-Perky turned to the burly bird, “You do not see any sky falling, do you?”

“No, I do not,” the goose responded.

“Ha-ha! Well, then, I will come with you on your merry way, but we’ve all got some doubts, Penny!” the turkey said with glee. He was interested to see where this adventure would go.

Henny-Penny, Rooster-Booster, Ducky-Chucky, Goosie-Brucie, and Turkey-Perky waddled and waddled and waddled until they could see the palace just beyond the farmer’s field.

As they waddled over the last hill of the vast field, they saw a flash of reddish-brown before them. It was Mr. Fox!

None of the fowl friends had met this sly creature before, but they had heard rumors of his trickery and appetite. Henny-Penny and Rooster-Booster were oblivious, though, and desperate to keep moving. Ducky-Chucky suddenly shivered, forgetting the day’s heat, while Goosie-Brucie’s chest became even puffier; Turkey-Perky just stopped and smiled.

“Hello, hello, hello,” cooed the fox.

“Oh, Mr. Fox, the sky is falling! The sky is falling! We must alert the king!” Henny-Penny shouted.

“Oh, we must, we must!” Rooster-Booster chimed in. But the other birds stayed silent.

“Ah, yes, the sky is falling! And I know where the king is!” replied a delighted Mr. Fox. He licked his lips and gestured the birds to follow him past a large tree and back over the hill. 

Henny-Penny and Rooster-Booster began to waddle and waddle and waddle in the direction of Mr. Fox. Turkey-Perky whispered something to Ducky-Chucky and Goosie-Brucie, and then the three waddled closely behind the rest.

As Mr. Fox led Henny-Penny and Rooster-Booster into a hole in the hill just under the tree, Ducky-Chucky bounded into action. There was a small patch of water beside the opening, and the duck giggled with delight as he splashed his feet loudly.

Rooster-Booster and Mr. Fox re-emerged from the hole, suddenly distracted by all the quacking and splashing. Goosie-Brucie looked at Turkey-Perky, who gave him the signal, and stood right under the tree over the hole. The goose puffed his chest out as hard as he could muster and bumped the trunk, causing the tree to shake. Several acorns fell, covering the hole and hitting Mr. Fox, knocking him out cold. Turkey-Perky pecked and pecked and pecked up the acorns until there was just enough room for the tiny hen to escape out of the hole. “Chicken Little” indeed! By now, she had seen the acorns collapse and knew what had fallen on her head earlier.

Henny-Penny, Rooster-Booster, Ducky-Chucky, Goosie-Brucie, and Turkey-Perky waddled and waddled and waddled back home to safety. Henny-Penny hugged her fowl friends and kissed Turkey-Perky on the cheek, grateful that the fox had not eaten them—and that the world was not ending! Instead, they all lived happily ever after.

Printable version of this story

My name is Tasha Guenther. I currently live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, while I finish my Ph.D. in Cultural Studies with a concentration in digital cultures at McMaster University. I am an avid academic essay/book chapter writer, but I also enjoy writing short stories and non-fiction pieces. You can read more of my DLTKsCrafts work here!

Alongside my learning, studying, and thinking about digital platforms and critical theory, I appreciate long conversations with close friends, reading poetry, and taking photos of my cat. Learn more about me here or connect with me on my Instagram, Twitter, VSCO, and Facebook accounts.

Fairy tale “How the chicken did not want to be a chicken”

You will say that if you were born a chicken, then you will be a chicken forever? But the chicken from the fairy tale “Like a chicken did not want to be a chicken” decided differently: “I am a chicken, but I want to be a swan, a kite, a finch ...” And she tried to be them. But here's what came out of it.

Fairy tale “Like a chicken did not want to be a chicken”
From the series “Tales of the peoples of the world”

The warm rays of the spring sun brightly illuminated the nettles, in the middle of which a chicken lay and basked in the sun. A fresh breeze blew from the lake, and the grass on the shore shone so brightly green that it put everyone in a poetic mood. It is not surprising that the chicken dreamed. Not far from it stood a branched birch, on which the finch was filled with resounding trills.

— What a wonderful songbird! - said a girl passing by a birch. It hit the chicken.

“The master's daughter didn't even notice me,” the hen thought to herself. - Everyone praises the singers, but no one will remember those who bring fresh eggs!

Of course, the hen was right, and she should have stopped there, but she continued to reason further:

— What prevents me from becoming the same songbird? I am also a bird and I have a voice. If you compare me with a finch, perhaps my voice will be louder and stronger than his. Let me try to sing!

No sooner said than done. Having somehow got out of its hole, the chicken flapped its wings heavily and flew up to the lower branch of a birch. She could not rise higher, but she was also pleased that she had landed on a green branch. The finch, frightened by the sudden flight of the hen, hastened to fly away. "So much the better for me," thought the hen, "now at least I'll be alone!"

- Lady! Our best hen was gone, - the poultry hen came running, all out of breath, to report to her mistress. - I began to drive the chickens into the chicken coop and I see - she is not there, but only before that she was lying in a hole and basking in the sun. Did the fox have time ...

“Look carefully, you will surely find it,” the hostess interrupted her, and, to be sure, she went to the chicken coop. The search began. Seeing her mistress, the hen cackled. This is where she was noticed.

— There you are! Has she climbed a birch? the hostess and the poultry-keeper spoke at the same time.

"That's right, they liked my singing!" thought the hen, trying to cackle with all her might.

"Poor thing, she can't get down from there, and I can't reach her either," said the bird girl. “Should I go get the garden stairs?”

“Clap your hands, you'll scare her away,” the hostess suggested.

“I think they are applauding me,” thought the hen, and began to cackle even louder.

— No, we'll only scare her, look how she cackles, poor thing! the bird replied.

“Throw a few pebbles on the branch, maybe it will fly off,” the hostess continued.

Then the hen got really scared. She had heard more than once how the gardener would shoot small birds with shot. It seemed to her that they were also shooting at her, and she decided, just in case, to go down from the birch.

“Mother is not nearly as musical as her daughter!” - the chicken tried to console herself, - "you should not show your art in front of her."

She was locked up for the night, as usual, in a chicken coop.

The next day the hen was again lying in the hole and making her observations. She was not lucky in singing, so can she try herself in something else? Soon she saw a kite soaring in the air on wide wings.

“It must be very nice to be so high up in the air,” thought the hen, “and what a majestic view! What if I try too? It is good to be a bird of prey: you can strike fear into all small birds. How flattering that must be!” And then she took off. But strangely, the wings did not want to lift her high, she flew only over the fence and found herself in the neighboring poultry yard.

“What a misfortune, and here I can show myself as a bird of prey,” the hen consoled herself and began chasing the chickens. A terrible cry and noise arose: the hens and the rooster, frightened, rushed about in different directions and cackled furiously.

- Mom, a strange chicken has climbed up to us and is pecking at our chickens! cried the little girl, running to her mother with tears in her eyes.

The pursuit of someone else's chicken has begun. Finally they caught her and, recognizing her, they took her to the neighbors, who locked the chicken for the whole day in the chicken coop. So nothing came of trying to be a bird of prey.

The next day a hen was walking along the bank of a pond and saw a swan. “What a proud swan! Look how the master's daughter feeds him with bread, ”the chicken envied. “It must be very pleasant to swim so majestically on the waves. Shouldn't I try it too? Can't I swim as well as ducks? The whole difference between me and the swan is that he is big and white, and I am smaller and pockmarked, ”the chicken reasoned to herself.

Without hesitation, she plunged into the water. But then she was terribly frightened, because the water turned out to be cold, and, moreover, she almost choked. Fortunately for her, a girl passing by managed to grab her by the wing and pull her ashore.

— I don't understand what happened to our chicken, she just went crazy! complained the bird-girl, tending to the hen after her cold bath. She hasn't laid a single egg in a whole week!

"Let other birds lay eggs, but that's enough for me!" thought the chicken. “I’m already tired of doing the same duty every day!” and immediately, seeing a jackdaw, she began to persuade him to put some eggs instead of her in a nest in a hen house. “Let the hostess taste your eggs too!” she teased the jackdaw.

- Oh, what strange, ugly eggs! - the bird-girl was surprised, noticing other people's eggs in the hen's nest and took them to the mistress to show them.

- Throw them away, they're no good! the hostess ordered. But the bird girl gave them to the children to play with.

"What else should I try?" thought the chicken. “Shall I become a pelican?” She had heard of such a bird. "They say the pelican is a model of nobility." She began to pull out the feathers on her chest, but this only caused her pain, and besides, no one thanked her for it.

- Lady, our chicken is being plucked! Shouldn't we slaughter her, anyway, she no longer lays eggs? said the bird to the mistress.

Only then did the chicken come to her senses. She was not lucky in anything else, because she was a good chicken. Why shouldn't she stay like this? Without a grumble, she allowed herself to be locked up in the chicken coop, and from then on she again began to lay large fresh eggs, for which she earned herself the former love of the hostess and poultry keeper. In the end, she enlightened that it was not worth taking on something for which there was no talent.

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