Clifton Johnson

The Story of Chicken-Licken

O NE fine summer morning Chicken-licken went to the woods and an acorn fell from an oak-tree and hit her right on the head. "Gracious me!" said Chicken-licken, "the sky has fallen. I must go and tell the king."

So Chicken-licken turned back, but she had not gone far when she met Hen-len. "Where are you going, Hen-len?" she asked.

"I'm going to the woods to get something to eat," replied Hen-len.

And Chicken-licken said, "Oh! Hen-len, don't go; for I was going, and the sky fell on my head, and now I'm going to tell the king."

"I will go with you," said Hen-len.

So Hen-len turned back, and they went along until pretty soon they met Cock-lock. "Where are you going, Cock-lock?" they asked.

"I'm going to the woods to get something to eat," replied Cock-lock.

Then Hen-len said, "Oh! Cock-lock, don't go; for I was going, and I met Chicken-licken, and Chicken-licken had been to the woods, and the sky had fallen on her head, and we are going to tell the king."

"I will go with you," said Cock-lock.

So Cock-lock turned back and they went along until pretty soon they met Ducky-daddles. "Where are you going, Ducky-daddles?" they asked.

"I'm going to the woods to get something to eat," replied Ducky-daddles.

Then Cock-lock said, "Oh! Ducky-daddles, don't go; for I was going, and I met Hen-len, and Hen-len had met Chicken-licken, and Chicken-licken had been to the woods and the sky had fallen on her head, and we are going to tell the king."

"I will go with you," said Ducky-daddles.

So Ducky-daddles turned back and they went along until pretty soon they met Goosie-poosie. "Where are you going, Goosie-poosie?" they asked.

"I'm going to the woods to get something to eat," replied Goosie-poosie.

Then Ducky-daddles said, "Oh! Goosie-poosie, don't go; for I was going, and I met Cock-lock, and Cock-lock had met Hen-len, and Hen-len had met Chicken-licken, and Chicken-licken had been to the woods and the sky had fallen on her head, and we are going to tell the king."

"I will go with you," said Goosie-poosie.

So Goosie-poosie turned back and they went along until pretty soon they met Turkey-lurkey. "Where are you going, Turkey-lurkey?" they asked.

"I'm going to the woods to get something to eat," replied Turkey-lurkey.

Then Goosie-poosie said, "Oh! Turkey-lurkey, don't go; for I was going, and I met Ducky-daddles, and Ducky-daddles had met Cock-lock, and Cock-lock had met Hen-len, and Hen-len had met Chicken-licken, and Chicken-licken had been to the woods and the sky had fallen on her head, and we are going to tell the king."

"I will go with you," said Turkey-lurkey.

So Turkey-lurkey turned back and they went along until pretty soon they met Fox-lox; and Fox-lox said, "Where are you going, my pretty dears?"

And they replied, "Chicken-licken went to the woods and the sky fell on her head, and we are going to tell the king."

"All right," said Fox-lox, "come along with me, and I will show you the way."

So they went along with Fox-lox, and he took them to his hole, and he and his young ones soon ate up poor Chicken-licken, Hen-len, Cock-lock, Ducky-daddles, Goosie-poosie, and Turkey-lurkey, and they never saw the king to tell him that the sky had fallen.