Chicken Licken

As Chicken-licken was going one day to the wood, whack! an acorn fell from a tree on to his head.

“Gracious goodness me!” said Chicken-licken. “The sky must have fallen; I must go and tell the King.”

So Chicken-licken turned back, and met Henny-lenny.

“Well, Henny-lenny, where are you going?” said he.

“I’m going to the wood,” said she.

“Oh, Henny-lenny, don’t go!” said he. “For as I was going, the sky fell onto my head, and I’m going to tell the King.”

So Henny-lenny turned back with Chicken-licken, and met Cocky-locky.

“I’m going to the wood,” said he.

Then Henny-lenny said: “Oh Cocky-locky, don’t go, for I was going, and I met Chicken-licken, and Chicken-licken had been at the wood, and the sky had fallen onto his head, and we are going to tell the King.”

So Cocky-locky turned back, and they met Ducky-lucky.

“Well, Ducky-lucky, where are you going?”

And Ducky-lucky said: “I’m going to the wood.”

Then Cocky-locky said: “Oh! Ducky-lucky, don’t go, for I was going, and I met Henny-lenny, and Henny-lenny met Chicken-licken, and Chicken-licken had been at the wood, and the sky had fallen onto his head, and we are going to tell the King.”

So Ducky-lucky turned back, and met Drakey-lakey.

“Well, Drakey-lakey, where are you going?”

And Drakey-lakey said: “I’m going to the wood.”

Then Ducky-lucky said: “Oh! Drakey-lakey, don’t go, for I was going, and I met Cocky-locky, and Cocky-locky met Henny-lenny, and Henny-lenny met Chicken-licken, and Chicken-licken had been at the wood, and the sky had fallen on to his head, and we are going to tell the King.”

So Drakey-lakey turned back, and met Goosey-loosey.

“Well, Goosey-loosey, where are you going?”

And Goosey-loosey said: “I’m going to the wood.”

Then Drakey-lakey said: “Oh, Goosey-loosey, don’t go, for I was going, and I met Ducky-lucky, and Ducky-lucky met Cocky-locky, and Cocky-locky met Henny-lenny, and Henny-lenny met Chicken-licken, and Chicken-licken had been at the wood, and the sky had fallen onto his head, and we are going to tell the King.”

So Goosey-loosey turned back, and met Gander-lander.

“Well, Gander-lander, where are you going?”

And Gander-lander said: “I’m going to the wood.”

Then Goosey-loosey said: “Oh! Gander-lander, don’t go, for I was going, and I met Drakey-lakey, and Drakey-lakey met Ducky-lucky, and Ducky-lucky met Cocky-locky, and Cocky-locky met Henny-lenny, and Henny-lenny met Chicken-licken, and Chicken-licken had been at the wood, and the sky had fallen on to his head, and we are going to tell the King.”

So Gander-lander turned back, and met Turkey-lurkey.

“Well, Turkey-lurkey, where are you going?”

And Turkey-lurkey said: “I’m going to the wood.”

Then Gander-lander said: “Oh! Turkey-lurkey, don’t go, for I was going, and I met Goosey-loosey, and Goosey-loosey met Drakey-lakey, and Drakey-lakey met Ducky-lucky, and Ducky-lucky met Cocky-locky, and Cocky-locky met Henny-lenny, and Henny-lenny met Chicken-licken, and Chicken-licken had been at the wood, and the sky had fallen onto his head, and we are going to tell the King.”

So Turkey-lurkey turned back, and walked with Gander-lander, Goosey-loosey, Drakey-lakey, Ducky-lucky, Cocky-locky, Henny-lenny, and Chicken-licken.

And as they were going along, they met Foxy-loxy. And Foxy-loxy said:

“Where are you going?”

And they said: “Chicken-licken went to the wood, and the sky fell onto his head, and we are going to tell the King.”

And Foxy-loxy said: “Come along with me, and I will show you the way.”

But Foxy-loxy took them into the fox’s hole, and he and his young ones soon ate up poor Chicken-licken, Henny-lenny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-lucky, Drakey-lakey, Goosey-loosey, Gander-lander, and Turkey-lurkey; and they never saw the King to tell him that the sky had fallen.