Henny-penny

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: Boys And Girls Bookshelf

One day Henny-penny was picking up corn in the cornyard

when--whack!--something hit her upon the head. "Goodness gracious me!"

says 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-pe
ny. "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," says Henny-penny and Cocky-locky. "May I come with you?"

says Ducky-daddles. "Certainly," says 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?" says Goosey-poosey. "Oh! we're going to tell the

king the sky's a-falling," says Henny-penny, and Cocky-locky and

Ducky-daddles. "May I come with you?" says Goosey-poosey. "Certainly,"

says 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," says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky,

Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey. "May I come with you, Henny-penny,

Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey?" says Turkey-lurkey. "Oh,

certainly, Turkey-lurkey," says Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddies,

and Goosey-poosey. So Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddies,

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 says 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 says 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?" "Oh, certainly, Foxy-woxy," says 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 says to Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddies,

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?"

says 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 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's 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. But she turned tail and off she ran home, so she never told

the king the sky was a-falling.



[K] From "English Fairy Tales," collected by Joseph Jacobs; used by

permission of the publishers, G. P. Putnam's Sons.



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