American Stories: Chicken Little

01And now, an American children's story from VOA Learning English.

02Today's story probably had its start long before it was published in Europe long ago.

03It might have first been known as Henny Penny, but the story has been told to American children at least since the mid-1800s.

04Under a title similar to Chicken Little.

05Generations have heard and thought about the lessons of the little chicken who causes big problems for a group of well-meaning but not-so-thoughtful birds.

06Today's version is based on two examples of the story.

07One is called Remarkable Story of Chicken Little.

08John Green Chandler had it published in the city of Boston, Massachusetts in 1842.

09Catherine Pyle published her 1918 version in Mother's Nursery Tales.

10The story has taken on its own American qualities and is a little like a parable, a story that teaches a moral lesson.

11Later retellings, including a few movie versions, have made changes to some of the characters or aimed to teach different ideas.

12Here is the story, Chicken Little, in VOA Learning English.

13One day, Chicken Little fell asleep under some flowers.

14Cow wandered by, reached over the fence, and bit off some flowers.

15The noise wakened Chicken Little, just as a flower petal fell on her tail.

16Squawk!

17Squawk!

18cried Chicken Little, frightened by the petal's landing.

19The sky is falling, she continued, her call rising louder with her terror.

20Squawk!

21Squawk!

22And she jumped up and began to run, moving as fast as her two legs could carry her.

23She did not stop running until she came to the barnyard.

24There she found Henny Penny, scratching in the dirt of the barnyard.

25Oh, Henny Penny, do not scratch!

26Run!

27cried Chicken Little.

28The sky is falling.

29The scratching stopped.

30Then Hen called out, How do you know that, Chicken Little?

31I saw it with my eyes, I heard it with my ears, and part of it fell on my tail.

32Let us run until we get some place.

33Squawk!

34Squawk!

35cried Hen in return, a look of shock on her face.

36Then run she did, speeding away from the barnyard.

37Chicken Little followed close behind.

38They almost ran right past the little lake, just as Ducky Lucky was going in for a swim.

39Oh, Ducky Lucky, Ducky Lucky, do not try to swim!

40cried Henny Penny.

41The sky is falling.

42Seriously, Henny Penny?

43Why do you think that?

44asked Ducky Lucky.

45Chicken Little told me.

46How do you know the sky is falling, Chicken Little?

47I saw it with my eyes, I heard it with my ears, and part of it fell on my tail.

48Oh, let us run until we get some place.

49Ducky Lucky was persuaded.

50Yes, we had better run, he yelled, and the three took off, Ducky Lucky waddling faster than he ever had before.

51The birds ran and ran until they came to a green meadow, and there was Goosey Lucy eating the green grass.

52Oh, Goosey Lucy, Goosey Lucy, do not eat!

53Run!

54cried Ducky Lucky.

55Why should I run?

56asked Goosey Lucy.

57Because the sky is falling.

58How do you know that, Ducky Lucky?

59Henny Penny told me.

60How do you know that, Henny Penny?

61Chicken Little told me.

62How do you know that, Chicken Little?

63Because I saw it with my eyes, and heard it with my ears, and part of it fell on my tail.

64Oh, let us run some place.

65Yes, we had better run, cried Goosey Lucy.

66Away they all ran, Goosey Lucy in the lead, and they ran and ran until they came to the turkey yard, and there was Turkey Lurkey strutting and gobbling.

67Oh, Turkey Lurkey, do not strut, cried Goosey Lucy.

68Why should I not strut?

69asked Turkey Lurkey.

70Because the sky is falling.

71How do you know it is?

72Ducky Lucky told me.

73How do you know, Ducky Lucky?

74Henny Penny told me.

75How do you know, Henny Penny?

76Chicken Little told me.

77Chicken Little, how do you know this for a fact?

78I could not help knowing.

79I saw it with my eyes.

80I heard it with my ears, and a part of it fell on my tail.

81Oh, let us run until we get some place.

82Yes, it would be best to run, said Turkey Lurkey.

83So away they all ran, first Turkey Lurkey, and then Goosey Lucy, and then Ducky Lucky, and then Henny Penny, and then Chicken Little.

84They ran and ran until they came to Foxy Loxy's house.

85Foxy Loxy was resting, spread out across the doorway.

86She kept yawning, opening her mouth wide so that all her sharp teeth showed.

87But her mouth snapped shut at the sudden arrival of the frightened birds, Turkey Lurkey, and Goosey Lucy, and Ducky Lucky, and Henny Penny, and Chicken Little.

88Her eyes softened, and her ears stood up.

89She was so very happy to see them all, and smiled sweetly.

90Well, well, the fox said.

91What brings you all here?

92Foxy Loxy, prevent yourself from yawning, cried the old Turkey Lurkey.

93Indeed, the sky is falling.

94How do you know that, Turkey Lurkey?

95asked the fox.

96Goosey Lucy informed me.

97How do you know that, Goosey Lucy?

98Ducky Lucky told me.

99How do you know that, Ducky Lucky?

100Henny Penny told me.

101How do you know that, Henny Penny?

102Chicken Little How do you know that, Chicken Little?

103I could not help knowing, for I saw it with my eyes, and I heard it with my ears, and part of it fell on my tail.

104Oh, where shall we run?

105We ought to go some place.

106Well, said the fox.

107You come right into my house, and I will protect you, and take such good care of you, that even if the sky falls, you will not know anything about it.

108So, in ran Turkey Lurkey, and Goosey Lucy, and Ducky Lucky, and Henny Penny, and Chicken Little.

109Foxy Lurkey, and then shut the door firmly behind her.

110She would not let the falling sky threaten her guests, you see.

111She was going to take special care of them all.

112And maybe she did.

113But no one ever saw Chicken Little or her friends again.

114She was going to take special care of them all.

115She was going to take special care of them all.

116She was going to take care of them all.

117She was going to take care of them all.

118She was going to take care of them all.

119She was going to take care of them all.

120She was going to take care of them all.

121She was going to take care of them all.

122She was going to take care of them all.

123She was going to take care of them all.

124She was going to take care of them all.

125She was going to take care of them all.

126She was going to take care of them all.

127She was going to take care of them all.