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 Hen-len.
“Well, Hen-len, where are you going?” said he.
“I’m going to the wood,” said she.
“Oh, Hen-len, don’t go!” said he, “for as I was going the sky fell on to my head, and I’m going to tell the King.”
So Hen-len turned back with Chicken-licken, and met Cock-lock.
“I’m going to the wood,” said he.
Then Hen-len said: “Oh Cock-lock, 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 on to his head, and we are going to tell the King.”
So Cock-lock turned back, and they met Duck-luck.
“Well, Duck-luck, where are you going?”
And Duck-luck said: “I’m going to the wood.”
Then Cock-lock said: “Oh! Duck-luck, don’t go, for I was going, and I met Hen-len, and Hen-len 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 Duck-luck turned back, and met Drake-lake.
“Well, Drake-lake, where are you going?”
And Drake-lake said: “I’m going to the wood.”
Then Duck-luck said: “Oh! Drake-lake, don’t go, for I was going, and I met Cock-lock, and Cock-lock met Hen-len, and Hen-len 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 Drake-lake turned back, and met Goose-loose.
“Well, Goose-loose, where are you going?”
And Goose-loose said: “I’m going to the wood.”
Then Drake-lake said: “Oh, Goose-loose, don’t go, for I was going, and I met Duck-luck, and Duck-luck met Cock-lock, and Cock-lock met Hen-len, and Hen-len 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 Goose-loose turned back, and met Gander-lander.
“Well, Gander-lander, where are you going?”
And Gander-lander said: “I’m going to the wood.”
Then Goose-loose said: “Oh! Gander-lander, don’t go, for I was going, and I met Drake-lake, and Drake-lake met Duck-luck, and Duck-luck met Cock-lock, and Cock-lock met Hen-len, and Hen-len 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 Goose-loose, and Goose-loose met Drake-lake, and Drake-lake met Duck-luck, and Duck-luck met Cock-lock, and Cock-lock met Hen-len, and Hen-len 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 Turkey-lurkey turned back, and walked with Gander-lander, Goose-loose, Drake-lake, Duck-luck, Cock-lock, Hen-len, and Chicken-licken.
And as they were going along, they met Fox-lox. And Fox-lox said:
“Where are you going?”
And they said: “Chicken-licken went to the wood, and the sky fell on to his head, and we are going to tell the King.”
And Fox-lox said: “Come along with me, and I will show you the way.”
But Fox-lox took them into the fox’s hole, and he and his young ones soon ate up poor Chicken-licken, Hen-len, Cock-lock, Duck-luck, Drake-lake, Goose-loose, Gander-lander, and Turkey-lurkey; and they never saw the King to tell him that the sky had fallen.