Fairy Tale: Henny Penny

The European folk-tale/fairy-tale “Henny Penny,” is an old story that goes as far back as twenty five centuries. The American version is known as “Chicken Little” or “Chicken Licken.” It is a delightful children’s tale ,which I adored as a child about a frightened little chicken named Henny Penny. The theme throughout the fairy tale is that “The Sky is Falling!” cried out by the scared small chicken who felt an acorn fall upon her head, she reacts with hysteria. Henny Penny desires to warn the King and with her many friends who accompany her along the way.

It is similar to the Climate Change warning of modern day. Fearmongering is known to cause the public a type of hysteria known as Chicken Little Syndrome, described by D.L. Ashliman as a fear of an apocalyptic event of the world that can cause paralysis.

Henny Penny has different versions of the tale in some Henny and Penny are twins celebrating their fourth birthday. In other tales Henny Penny is one chicken not two.

First Pages of The Remarkable Story of Chicken Little (1840) Wikimedia Public Domain

Here is my own version of the Henny Penny Tale.

The Tale Of Henny Penny

Once upon a time there was a small red chicken named Henny Penny. She was busy pecking at some corn Kernels in the yard when “POP!” Henny Penny felt something hit her head.

“Good gracious!” cried Henny Penny. “The sky is falling! I must run and tell the King.”

She ran along, ran along, and ran along until she bumped into Cocky Locky. “Where are you running to Henny Penny?” asked Cocky Locky.

“Oh! I’m in such a hurry!” cried Henny Penny. “I’m going to inform the King, the Sky is falling!”

“May I join you?” asked Cocky Locky.

“Sure!” said Henny Penny to Cocky Locky.

Henny Penny and Cocky Locky scurried off to inform the King the Sky is falling.

The two friends, ran along, ran along, and ran along until they bumped into Ducky Lucky.

“Where are you running to Henny Penny and Cocky Locky,” asked Ducky Lucky.

“Oh! we are in such a hurry!” cried Henny Penny and Cocky Locky. “We are going to tell the King, the Sky is falling!”

“May I join you?” asked Ducky Lucky.

“Sure!” said Henny Penny and Cocky Locky.

So, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky and Ducky Lucky scurried off to inform the King, the sky is falling.

The Three friends, ran along, ran along, and ran along until they bumped into Goosey Loosey.

“Where are you running to Henny Penny, Cocky Locky and Ducky Lucky?” asked Goosey Loosey.

“Oh we are in such a hurry!” cried Henny Penny, Cocky Locky and Ducky Lucky. “We are going to tell the King, the Sky is falling!”

“May I join you?” asked Goosey Loosey.

Sure! said Henny Penny, Cocky Locky and Ducky Lucky.

So, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky and Goosey Loosey scurried off to inform the King, the sky is falling.

The four friends, ran along, ran along, and ran along until they bumped into Turkey Lurkey.

“Where are you running to Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky and Goosey Loosey?” asked Turkey Lurkey.

“Oh we are in such a hurry!” cried Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky and Goosey Loosey. “We are going to tell the King, the Sky is falling.”

“May I join you?” asked Turkey Lurkey.

“Sure!” said Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky and Goosey Loosey.

So, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey scurried off to inform the King, the sky is falling.

The five friends, ran along, ran along, and ran along until they bumped into Foxy Woxy.

“Where are you running to Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky,Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey?” asked Foxy Woxy.

“Oh we are in such a hurry!” cried Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey. “We are going to tell the King, the Sky is falling.”

“My dear fowl friends, this is not the way to the King’s castle, stated Foxy Woxy.

“I know exactly where it is, will you follow me Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey?”

“Sure!” said Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey.

So, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey and Foxy Woxy scurried off to inform the King, the sky is falling.

The six friends, ran along, ran along, and ran along until they bumped into Foxy Woxy’s cave.

Foxy Woxy turned around to his fowl friends and said, “Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey this is a shortcut to the King’s castle.”

Foxy Woxy stated, “Follow me into my cave so we will quickly reach the King, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey.”

“Sure!” said Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey.

Foxy Woxy entered his dark cave silently waiting for his fowl friends to enter.

Turkey Lurkey was brave and was the first fowl friend to enter Foxy Woxy’s cave.

Turkey Lurkey journeyed deeper into the dark cave when “Crunch!” The sly fox, Foxy Woxy bit Turkey Lurkey’s head right off and threw his body over his left shoulder.

Next, Goosey Loosey journeyed deeper into the cave when “Crunch!” Foxy Woxy bit her head off and threw her body over his left shoulder beside Turkey Lurkey’s corpse.

Next, Ducky Lucky waddled deeper into the cave when “Crunch!” Foxy Woxy bit his head off and threw his body over his left shoulder beside Turkey Lurkey and Goosey Loosey’s corpses.

Next, Cocky Locky strutted deeper into the cave when “Crunch!” Foxy Woxy did not bite Cocky Locky’s head off, he just injured Cocky Locky’s neck.

Cocky Locky cried out to his small red hen, “Henny Penny Run Away!”

Henny Penny was so frightened when she realized her fowl friends were being devoured by Foxy Woxy. Henny Penny ran along and ran along all the way back to her home and never told the King the sky is falling.

The End