English Fairy Tales
HENNY-PENNYOne
day Henny-penny was picking up corn in the cornyard when—whack!—
something 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-locky. "Where are you going, Henny-penny?" says Cocky-locky. "Oh!
I'm going to tell the king the sky's a-falling," says Henny- penny.
"May I come with you?" says Cocky-locky. "Certainly," says Henny-penny.
So Henny-penny and Cocky-locky went to tell-the king the sky was
falling. They
went along, and they went along, and they went along, till they met
Ducky-daddles. "Where are you going to, Henny-penny and Cocky- locky?"
says Ducky-daddles. "Oh! we're going to tell the king the sky's
a-falling," said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky. "May I come with you?"
says Ducky-daddles. "Certainly," said Henny-penny and Cocky- locky. So
Henny-penny, Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddles 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-poosey, "Where are you going to, Henny-penny, Cocky- locky
and Ducky-daddles?" said Goosey-poosey. "Oh! we're going to tell the
king the sky's a-falling," said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky and
Ducky-daddles. "May I come with you," said Goosey-poosey. "Certainly,"
said Henny-penny, Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddles. So Henny-penny,
Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles and Goosey-poosey 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-lurkey. "Where are you going, Henny-penny, Cocky- locky,
Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey?" says Turkey-lurkey. "Oh! we're going
to tell the king the sky's a-falling," said Henny-penny, Cocky-locky,
Ducky-daddles and Goosey-poosey. "May I come with you? Henny-penny,
Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles and Goosey-poosey?" said Turkey-lurkey.
"Why, certainly, Turkey-lurkey," said Henny-penny, Cocky-locky,
Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey. So Henny-penny, Cocky- locky,
Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey 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-woxy, and Foxy-woxy said to Henny-penny, Cocky-locky,
Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey: "Where are you going,
Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-
lurkey?" And Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey,
and Turkey-lurkey said to Foxy-woxy: "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-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey,"
says Foxy-woxy; "I know the proper way; shall I show it you?" "Why
certainly, Foxy-woxy," said Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles,
Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-
daddles, Goosey-poosey, Turkey-lurkey, and Foxy-woxy 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-woxy's cave. But Foxy-woxy said to
Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-
lurkey: "This is the short way 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-locky, Ducky daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey."
"Why of course, certainly, without doubt, why not?" said Henny-Penny,
Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, and Turkey-lurkey. So
Foxy-woxy went into his cave, and he didn't go very far but turned
round to wait for Henny-Penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-
poosey and Turkey-lurkey. So at last at first Turkey-lurkey went
through the dark hole into the cave. He hadn't got far when "Hrumph,"
Foxy-woxy snapped off Turkey-lurkey's head and threw his body over his
left shoulder. Then Goosey-poosey went in, and "Hrumph," off went her
head and Goosey-poosey was thrown beside Turkey-lurkey. Then Ducky-
daddles waddled down, and "Hrumph," snapped Foxy-woxy, and Ducky-
daddles' head was off and Ducky-daddles was thrown alongside Turkey-
lurkey and Goosey-poosey. Then Cocky-locky strutted down into the cave
and he hadn't gone far when "Snap, Hrumph!" went Foxy-woxy and Cocky-
locky was thrown alongside of Turkey-lurkey, Goosey-poosey and Ducky-
daddles. But
Foxy-woxy had made two bites at Cocky-locky, and when the first snap
only hurt Cocky-locky, but didn't kill him, he called out to
Henny-penny. So she turned tail and ran back home, so she never told
the king the sky was a-falling.
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