Henny-Penny

One day, something hard fell on Henny-penny’s head while she was picking up corn in the yard, and she decided at once that the sky was falling.“I must go and tell the king!” she said, and off she went down the road as fast as her legs could carry her.On the way, she met Cocky-locky the rooster, who asked where she was hurrying, and joined her at once when he heard her news.

One by one, they met Ducky-daddles the duck, Goosey-poosey the goose, and Turkey-lurkey the turkey.Each new friend asked the very same question, heard the very same worried answer, and joined the little parade without a moment’s doubt.Soon there were five of them, all hurrying together down the road to find the king.

Before long, they met Foxy-woxy, a sly fox with a clever, friendly smile.“This is not the way to the king’s palace,” said Foxy-woxy. “I know a shortcut. Follow me, and I’ll show you.”So Foxy-woxy led the five friends straight toward a dark, narrow hole at the bottom of a hill.

That hole was really the door to Foxy-woxy’s own cave, though none of the birds knew it yet.Henny-penny stopped just outside and peered into the darkness before anyone else could step in.There, scattered across the floor, she saw old feathers, and her heart began to pound.

“This is no shortcut — it’s a trap!” Henny-penny cried, backing quickly away from the hole.She shouted a warning to Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey, and all four understood at once.All five birds turned and ran, as fast as their legs and wings could carry them.

Foxy-woxy chased them partway down the road, but the five friends were far too quick, and they reached home safely.They never did tell the king the sky was falling, but they learned to look closely before ever following a stranger’s “shortcut” again.