Once upon a time, there was a little chicken named Chicken Little. Now, Chicken Little was quite a clever chicken, always ready with a solution for any problem. One sunny day, Chicken Little was happily playing in the yard beneath a big maple tree. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a mischievous squirrel zoomed past, carrying a bunch of acorns. Oh boy, one of those acorns came flying down and WHACK! It bonked Chicken Little right on the head!
Ouch! Chicken Little looked around in surprise, trying to figure out what on earth had happened. Up, down, left, right—she searched everywhere, but there was no clue about what hit her. You see, Chicken Little always had an answer for everything, and after some deep thinking, she reached a wild conclusion: the sky must be falling! Can you believe it? Chicken Little got really scared and thought she should inform the King right away.
With great determination, Chicken Little packed up her essentials in a bandana and tied it to a stick. She threw it over her shoulder, ready to hit the road. But just as she was about to embark on her journey, she bumped into Cocky Locky. Curious as ever, Cocky Locky stopped Chicken Little and asked, “Hey, what’s the rush? What’s going on?” And that’s when Chicken Little spilled the beans, “I was sitting under the tree when a piece of the sky fell right on my head!” Well, you can imagine Cocky Locky got pretty worried too. So, he decided to accompany Chicken Little to the King’s castle.
As they hurried along, they encountered Ducky Daddles on their path. Ducky Daddles noticed their panicked faces and inquired, “Why are you both in such a hurry? What’s the matter?” Chicken Little and Cocky Locky shared the whole sky-falling incident with Ducky Daddles. They exclaimed, “Haven’t you heard? The sky is falling! It crashed down on Chicken Little and nearly squished her!” Oh dear, poor Ducky Daddles became quite frightened too. Without a second thought, Ducky Daddles joined the group, determined to inform the King about this urgent news.
But their adventure was only halfway through when they came across Goosey Loosey. Concerned by their distress, Goosey Loosey asked, “Hey, what’s the matter with all of you? You look so worried!” Ducky Daddles explained the whole situation to Goosey Loosey, who promptly decided that they needed protection on their way to the King’s castle. And so, the four friends journeyed together, spreading the news wherever they went. Over the river, through the woods, past grandmother’s house—they traveled all the way to the grand castle of the King.
Upon their arrival, the King was taken aback. “What brings all of you here in such a frenzy?” he questioned. With great urgency, they informed the King, “The world is coming to an end! The sky is falling!” They recounted the entire incident, hoping to convince the King. However, the skeptical King wanted to see this so-called piece of sky for himself. But Chicken Little didn’t have any evidence to show him. “How can you be so sure it was a piece of sky?” the King challenged.
Chicken Little confidently replied, “Well, there was nothing above me except the tree, and there was nothing on the ground when I got hit. And you know, I always have answers for everything. So, the only thing left was the sky!” The King wasn’t quite convinced and decided to accompany Chicken Little back to the tree where the incident occurred. They waited patiently, and lo and behold, a squirrel
came running by and shouted down to them, “Hey guys, have you seen the acorn I dropped yesterday?” That caught their attention.
They all began investigating and, finally, Chicken Little peered into the tree hole and noticed a missing acorn. The squirrel was delighted to find it. Chicken Little realized that it wasn’t the sky falling after all. Sometimes, things are not what they seem. It’s okay to not have all the answers. And so, with smiles on their faces, Chicken Little and her friends learned a valuable lesson that day—that sometimes, even clever chickens like Chicken Little can be mistaken, and that’s perfectly alright. The sky was safe, and they lived happily ever after.
The End
The story of “Chicken Little” is a popular folktale, and like many folktales, its authorship is unknown. It is a story that has been passed down through generations and has been retold in various versions across different cultures.
The earliest known printed version of “Chicken Little” can be found in a book titled “The Little Henny Penny” published in 1840, which was a retelling of the folktale. However, the story existed in oral form long before that.
“Folktales” are traditional stories that are part of a culture’s oral tradition, and they are often told and retold by different people over time. They tend to evolve and change as they are passed down through generations, making it difficult to attribute authorship to a specific individual.
So, while we don’t know the exact author of the “Chicken Little” story, it remains a beloved and enduring tale that continues to entertain and teach valuable lessons to children around the world.
