ONE day Henny-penny was picking up corn 2 in the farmyard when suddenly an acorn fell and hit her on the head. "Dear me!" said Henny-penny. "The sky is falling. I must go and tell the king."
So she set out to tell the king, and she went along till she met Cocky-locky. "Where are you going, Henny-penny?" said Cocky-locky. "I'm going to tell the king the sky is falling," said Henny-penny. "May I go with you?" said Cocky-locky.
"Certainly," said Henny-penny. So they went along together to tell the king the sky was falling. They went along till they met Ducky-daddies. "Where are you going, Henny-penny and Cocky-locky?" said Ducky-daddies. "We're going to tell the king the sky is falling," said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky.
"May I go with you?" said Ducky-daddies. "Certainly," said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky. So they went along together to tell the king the sky was falling. They went along till they met Goosey-poosey.
"Where are you going, Henny-penny and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddies?" said Goosey-poosey. "We are going to tell the king the sky is falling," said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddies. "May I go with you?" said Goosey-poosey.
"Certainly," said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddies. So they went along together to tell the king the sky was falling. They went along till they met Turkey-lurkey.
"Where are you going, Henny-penny and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddies and Goosey-poosey?" said Turkey-lurkey. "We are going to tell the king the sky is falling," said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddies and Goosey-poosey.
"May I go with you?" said Turkey-lurkey. "Certainly," said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddies and Goosey-poosey. So they went along together to tell the king the sky was falling.
They went along till they met Foxy-woxy. "Where are you going, Henny-penny and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddies and Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey?" said Foxy-woxy.
"We are going to tell the king the sky is falling," said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddies and Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey.
"But you are all going the wrong way," said Foxy-woxy. "Shall I show you the right way?" "Yes, please," said Henny-penny and Cocky-locky and Ducky-daddies and Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey. They followed Foxy-woxy till they came to a dark hole. This was the front door of Foxy-woxy's cave.
"Follow me," said Foxy-woxy. "This is a short way to the king's palace. You'll soon get there if you follow me. I shall go first and you come after."
Foxy-woxy went into his cave but he did not go very far in. He hid a little way inside 9 and waited. Soon Turkey-lurkey went in and Foxy-woxy bit off his head and threw his body over his shoulder.
Then Goosey-poosey went in and Foxy-woxy bit off her head and threw her body over his shoulder.
Then Ducky-daddies went in and Foxy-woxy bit off her head and threw her body over his shoulder. Then Cocky-locky went in and Foxy-woxy bit off his head too.
But Cocky-locky just had time to crow first 10 and Henny-penny knew something was wrong. She turned round and ran home as fast as she could, so she never told the king the sky was falling.
1 Henny-penny — Курица (hen — курица) 2 was picking up corn — клевала зерно 3 Dear me! — Ox! (междометие, выражающее удивление) 4 Cocky-locky — Петух (cock — петух) 5 Ducky-daddies — зд. Утка (duck — утка) 6 Goosey-poosey — Гусь (goose — гусь, гусыня) 7 Turkey-lurkey — Индюк (turkey — индюк, индейка) 8 Foxy-woxy — Лиса (fox — лиса, лисица) 9 hid a little way inside — спрятался недалеко от входа 10 But Cocky-locky just ha