The Book of Children Short Stories by Stephanie G Wallace - HTML preview

Chapter 34   Henny-Penny: The Sky is Falling!

One day Henny-penny was picking up corn in the rick yard when—whack! —an acorn hit her upon the head. "Goodness gracious me!" said Henny-penny, "the sky's a-going to fall; I must go and tell the King."

So, she went along, and she went along, and she went along, till she met Cocky-lucky. "Where are, you going, Henny-penny?" says Cocky-lucky. "Oh! I'm going to tell the King the sky's a-falling," says Henny-penny. "May I come with you?" says Cocky-lucky. "Certainly," says Henny-penny. So, Henny-penny and Cocky-lucky went to tell the King the sky was falling.

They went along, and they went along, and they went along, till they met Ducky-daddies. "Where are, you going to, Henny-penny and Cocky-lucky?" says Ducky-daddies. "Oh! we're going to tell the King the sky's a-falling," said Henny-penny and Cocky-lucky. "May I come with you?" says Ducky-daddies. "Certainly," said Henny-penny and Cocky-lucky. So, Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, and Ducky-daddies went to tell the King the sky was a-falling.

So, they went along, and they went along, and they went along, till they met Goosey-posy. "Where are, you going to, Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, and Ducky-daddies?" said Goosey-posy. "Oh! we're going to tell the King the sky's a-falling," said Henny-penny and Cocky-lucky and Ducky-daddies. "May I come with you?" said Goosey-posy. "Certainly," said Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, and Ducky-daddies. So, Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, and Goosey-posy went to tell the King the sky was a-falling.

So, they went along, and they went along, and they went along, till they met Turkey-lurked. "Where are, you going, Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, and Goosey-posy?" says Turkey-lurked. "Oh! we're going to tell the King the sky's a-falling," said Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, and Goosey-posy. "May I come with you, Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, and Goosey-posy?" said Turkey-lurked. "Oh, certainly, Turkey-lurked," said Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, and Goosey-posy. So, Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, and Turkey-lurked all went to tell the King the sky was a-falling.

So, they went along, and they went along, and they went along, till they met Foxy-waxy, and Foxy-waxy said to Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, and Turkey-lurked, "Where are you going, Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, and Turkey-lurked?" And Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, and Turkey-lurked said to Foxy-waxy, "We're going to tell the King the sky's a-falling." "Oh! but this is not the way to the King, Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, and Turkey-lurked," says Foxy-waxy; "I know the proper way; shall I show it you?" "Oh, certainly, Foxy-waxy," said Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, and Turkey-lurked. So, Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, Turkey-lurked, and Foxy-waxy all went to tell the King the sky was a-falling. So, they went along, and they went along, and they went along, till they came to a narrow and dark hole. Now this was the door of Foxy-way’s burrow. But Foxy-waxy said to Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, and Turkey-lurked, "This is the short cut to the King's palace: you'll soon get there if you follow me. I will go first and you come after, Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, and Turkey-lurked." "Why, of course, certainly, without doubt, why not?" said Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, and Turkey-lurked.

So, Foxy-waxy went into his burrow, and he didn't go very far but turned around to wait for Henny-penny, Cocky-lucky, Ducky-daddies, Goosey-posy, and Turkey-lurked. Now Turkey-lurked was the first to go through the dark hole into the burrow. He hadn't got far when—

"Humph!"

Foxy-waxy snapped off Turkey-lurker’s head and threw his body over his left shoulder. Then Goosey-posy went in, and—

"Humph!"

Off went her head and Goosey-posy was thrown beside Turkey-lurked. Then Ducky-daddies waddled down, and—

"Humph!"

Foxy-waxy had snapped off Ducky-daddies' head and Ducky-daddies was thrown alongside Turkey-lurked and Goosey-posy. Then Cocky-lucky strutted down into the burrow, and he hadn't gone far when—

"Humph!"

But Cocky-lucky will always crow whether you want him to do so or not, and so he had just time for one "Cock-a-doo-dole d—" before he went to join Turkey-lurked, Goosey-posy, and Ducky-daddies over Foxy-way’s shoulders.

Now when Henny-penny, who had just got into the dark burrow, heard Cocky-lucky crow, she said to herself:

"My goodness! it must be dawn. Time for me to lay my egg."

So, she turned around and bustled off to her nest; so, she escaped, but she never told the King the sky was falling!