Chicken Little

One breezy day, Chicken Little was pecking at seeds under a big oak tree. Plop! An acorn fell from the tree and bopped Chicken Little right on the head. "Oh my, oh my!" cried Chicken Little. "The sky is falling! I must go and tell the king!"

Chicken Little hurried down the road, wings flapping. Soon she met Henny Penny scratching in the dust. "Where are you going in such a rush, Chicken Little?" clucked Henny Penny.

"I’m going to tell the king the sky is falling," said Chicken Little.

"How do you know the sky is falling?" asked Henny Penny.

"I saw it with my eyes, I heard it with my ears, and a piece of it fell on my head!" said Chicken Little, rubbing the sore spot.

"Then I will go with you," said Henny Penny. So off they went, Chicken Little and Henny Penny, calling, "We’re going to tell the king the sky is falling!"

They hadn’t gone far when they came to a pond. Ducky Lucky waddled out, splish-splash. "Where are you going, Chicken Little and Henny Penny?" quacked Ducky Lucky.

"We’re going to tell the king the sky is falling," they said together.

"How do you know the sky is falling?" asked Ducky Lucky.

"I saw it with my eyes, I heard it with my ears, and a piece of it fell on my head!" said Chicken Little.

"Then I will go with you," said Ducky Lucky. So off they went—Chicken Little, Henny Penny, and Ducky Lucky—calling, "We’re going to tell the king the sky is falling!"

Along the lane, they met Goosey Loosey nibbling grass. "Where are you going, all in a line?" honked Goosey Loosey.

"We’re going to tell the king the sky is falling," said the three.

"How do you know the sky is falling?" asked Goosey Loosey.

"I saw it with my eyes, I heard it with my ears, and a piece of it fell on my head!" said Chicken Little.

"Then I will go with you," said Goosey Loosey. So off they went—Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, and Goosey Loosey—calling, "We’re going to tell the king the sky is falling!"

Past the fence, they met Turkey Lurkey, puffing and strutting. "Where are you going, gobble-gobble, such a hurry?" asked Turkey Lurkey.

"We’re going to tell the king the sky is falling," said all four.

"How do you know the sky is falling?" asked Turkey Lurkey.

"I saw it with my eyes, I heard it with my ears, and a piece of it fell on my head!" said Chicken Little.

"Then I will go with you," said Turkey Lurkey. So off they went—Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, and Turkey Lurkey—calling, "We’re going to tell the king the sky is falling!"

They marched and marched until they reached the edge of the woods. Out of the shadows stepped Foxy Loxy, smooth and smiling. "Good day, little birds," said Foxy Loxy. "Where are you going in such a fine parade?"

"We’re going to tell the king the sky is falling!" they all cried.

"The king!" said Foxy Loxy. "Why, I know the very shortest way to the palace. Follow me, and I’ll take you there at once."

Chicken Little and the others did not know the path to the king, so they followed Foxy Loxy through the trees and down a twisty, turny trail. It grew darker and narrower. "Is this the way to the king?" whispered Henny Penny.

"Oh yes," said Foxy Loxy softly. "Right through this door." He led them to a low, dark opening in the hillside.

Foxy Loxy opened it wide. Quick as a wink, he leaped—and gobbled them up, one by one. Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, and Turkey Lurkey were never seen again. And the king never heard their news, because there was no news at all. It had only been an acorn.

And that is why, before we shout, "The sky is falling!" we stop, take a breath, and make sure it’s true.