
The characters in the book 'Chicken Little' vary depending on the version of the story. In the American version, the characters are Chicken Little, Hen-Pen, Duck-Luck, Goose-Loose, and Fox-Lox. In the British version, the characters are Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Daddles, Goosie Poosie, and an unnamed fox. In the English version, the characters are Chicken-licken/Chicken Licken, Hen-len, Cock-lock, Duck-luck, Drake-lake, Goose-loose, Gander-lander, Turkey-lurkey, and Fox-lox. In the Danish version, the characters are Kylling Kluk, Høne Pøne, Hane Pane, And Svand, Gaase Paase, and Ræv Skræv. The story of Chicken Little has been adapted into a Disney film with the same name, starring Zach Braff as the titular character.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Title of the book | Chicken Little |
| Author | John Greene Chandler |
| Year of publication | 1840 |
| Characters | Chicken Little, Hen-Pen, Duck-Luck, Goose-Loose, Fox-Lox |
| Other names for the story | Chicken Licken, Henny Penny, The Remarkable Story of Chicken Little, The Story of Chicken-Licken, The Wonderful Story of Henny Penny, The Little Chicken Kluk and his companions, The Hen and her fellow travellers |
| Other names for the characters | Chicken-licken, Hen-len, Cock-lock, Drake-lake, Gander-lander, Turkey-lurkey, Cocky Locky, Ducky Daddles, Goosie Poosie, Kylling Kluk, Høne Pøne, Hane Pane, And Svand, Gaase Paase, Ræv Skræv, Foxy Loxy |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Chicken Little, the protagonist, believes the sky is falling
- Foxy Loxy, a fox who takes advantage of the birds' fear
- Hen-Pen, one of the first birds Chicken Little meets
- Duck-Luck, Goose-Loose, and Turkey-Lurkey, other birds Chicken Little meets
- The King, who Chicken Little and the other birds want to warn

Chicken Little, the protagonist, believes the sky is falling
Chicken Little, the protagonist of the folk tale that goes by their name, believes that the sky is falling. This belief is formed when they are struck by a falling object—variously a leaf, a pea, a nut, or an acorn—and interpret this as a sign that the sky is falling. In the story, Chicken Little is walking in the woods when this happens, and they rush out of the woods to warn the king. They meet other animals, mostly other fowl, who join them in their quest.
The story of Chicken Little is a folk tale with a moral. It is also known as "Chicken Licken" and "Henny Penny", and has been told in many different cultures over many centuries. The basic plot remains the same, but the details vary. In the American version, the characters' names are Chicken Little, Hen-Pen, Duck-Luck, Goose-Loose, and Fox-Lox. In the British version, the characters are named Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Daddles, Goosie Poosie, and an unnamed "tod" (fox). In an 1849 English version, the characters are Chicken-licken, Hen-len, Cock-lock, Duck-luck, Drake-lake, Goose-loose, Gander-lander, Turkey-lurkey, and Fox-lox.
Chicken Little's belief that the sky is falling is meant to illustrate the human failing of extrapolating our own (bad) experiences and assuming they represent objective reality. Chicken Little's delusion is made all the more ridiculous by the fact that it is something as small as an acorn that wrongfoots them. The story has become synonymous with alarmism and is often used to describe people who needlessly stoke fear among others. The phrase "The sky is falling!" has passed into the English language as a common idiom indicating a hysterical or mistaken belief that disaster is imminent.
Protecting Your Chicken Pen: Keeping Groundhogs Away
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Foxy Loxy, a fox who takes advantage of the birds' fear
Foxy Loxy, also known as Fox-Lox, is a character in the folk tale "Chicken Little", also known as "Henny Penny". In the story, Chicken Little is walking in the woods when she is struck by a falling acorn, leading her to believe that the sky is falling. She then rushes to warn the king, encountering other animals along the way who join her in her quest.
In some versions of the tale, Foxy Loxy takes advantage of the birds' fear by luring them into his lair or by pretending to be a police officer and stealing them. In one version, Foxy Loxy follows the advice of a book on psychology (Mein Kampf in the original 1943 cut) by striking the least intelligent first. He captures Turkey-Lurkey, Goose-Loose, Duck-Luck, Hen-Pen, and Chicken Little, and no one ever sees them again.
The story of Chicken Little has been adapted into various forms, including illustrated children's books, films, and songs. The tale is often used to caution against alarmism and the spread of unreasonable fear, with the phrase "The sky is falling!" becoming synonymous with baseless panic or paranoia.
In the 2005 Disney adaptation, the plot is significantly changed with the inclusion of aliens, and the moral message of the original tale is lost. Instead, Chicken Little is vindicated in spreading mass fear among the townsfolk.
Chick-fil-A Gift Cards: In-Store Availability and More
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Hen-Pen, one of the first birds Chicken Little meets
The tale of Chicken Little, also known as Chicken Licken, is a famous folk tale with several variations. In the American version of the story, published in 1840 by John Greene Chandler, the characters include Chicken Little, Hen-Pen, Duck-Luck, Goose-Loose, and Fox-Lox.
In the story, Chicken Little is frightened by a leaf falling on her tail and concludes that the sky is falling. She runs until she comes across Hen-Pen, who is rustling in the dust of the barnyard. Excitedly, Chicken Little urges Hen-Pen to stop rustling and run with her. Hen-Pen, confused, asks how Chicken Little knows that the sky is falling. Chicken Little insists that she saw it with her own eyes, heard it with her ears, and felt part of the sky fall on her tail. Convinced, Hen-Pen joins Chicken Little in their escape.
Together, they run until they reach a green meadow, where they find Goose-Loose eating grass. Duck-Luck, who is with them, urges Goose-Loose to stop eating and run with them. Goose-Loose asks why, and Duck-Luck relays Chicken Little's message about the falling sky. Goose-Loose is convinced and joins the group, leading them as they run to the turkey yard.
The group continues to spread the warning, gaining more companions along the way, until they eventually reach Fox-Lox's house. Fox-Lox is glad to see them and asks why they are there. Turkey-Lurkey, the last bird to join the group, relays Chicken Little's message, and Fox-Lox asks how they know. The birds explain that they saw it, heard it, and felt part of the sky fall on their tails. Unfortunately, this is the last we hear of the birds, as Fox-Lox traps them in his house, and they are never seen again.
Healing Chicken Wounds: Quick and Easy Steps
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Duck-Luck, Goose-Loose, and Turkey-Lurkey, other birds Chicken Little meets
Duck-Luck, Goose-Loose, and Turkey-Lurkey are three birds that Chicken Little meets in the story of Chicken Little, also known as Chicken Licken. The story is a famous folk tale with several variations, but the basic plot remains consistent.
In the tale, Chicken Little believes that the sky is falling in after being struck by an acorn or a leaf falling from a tree. In some versions, Chicken Little is walking in the woods and in others, she is sleeping under a rose bush when a cow reaches over the fence and bites off the top of the rose bush, causing a rose leaf to fall on her tail. Frightened, Chicken Little rushes to warn the king, encountering other animals, mostly fowl, along the way who join her quest.
In one version of the story, Duck-Luck is the first bird Chicken Little meets after running from the woods. Duck-Luck is eating grass in a green meadow when Chicken Little and Hen-Pen cry out, "Oh, Goose-Loose, Goose-Loose, don't eat; run, run!" Duck-Luck agrees to join them, exclaiming, "Yes, we had better run," and waddling off with the group.
Goose-Loose is the next bird they encounter in the turkey yard, strutting and gobbling. Goose-Loose is persuaded to join Chicken Little's quest, exclaiming, "Yes, we'd better run," and leading the group as they run to Fox-Lox's house.
Turkey-Lurkey is the largest bird of the group, strutting proudly in the turkey yard when the other birds find him. He joins them in their quest, crying, "Oh, Fox-Lox, Fox-Lox, don't yawn, the sky's falling down!" and expressing concern about where they should run for safety.
Together, Duck-Luck, Goose-Loose, Turkey-Lurkey, and Hen-Pen follow Chicken Little to Fox-Lox's house, where they meet their unfortunate fate.
The Real Side Chicks of Charlotte: Where Are They Now?
You may want to see also
Explore related products

The King, who Chicken Little and the other birds want to warn
In the tale, Chicken Little (also known as Chicken-licken, Kylling Kluk, or Henny Penny) is walking in the woods when she is struck by an acorn falling from a tree. Convinced that this is a sign that the sky is falling, Chicken Little rushes from the woods to go and warn the king. Along the way, she meets other animals, mostly other fowl, who join her in her quest. These birds include Hen-Pen, Duck-Luck, Goose-Loose, and Turkey-Lurkey. In some versions of the story, these characters are named Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Daddles, and Goosie Poosie.
In all versions of the tale, the birds are eaten by a fox, although the circumstances differ. In one version, Foxy Loxy lures the birds into his "poulice car" and pretends to be a police officer. The birds are eventually saved by actual police officers. In another version, Fox-Lox invites the birds into his house, shutting each one into a different room, and they are never seen again.
The story of Chicken Little has been adapted into various illustrated books, songs, and films, including two versions produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The tale is often used as a warning against mass hysteria and unfounded fear.
Air-Chilled Chicken: Nature's Promise vs Stop & Shop
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Chicken Little is the name of the main character in the book.
Yes, the main character is also referred to as Chicken-licken, Kylling Kluk, and Henny Penny.
The other characters in the book are Hen-Pen, Duck-Luck, Goose-Loose, Fox-Lox, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Daddles, Goosie Poosie, and an unnamed tod (fox).
Chicken Little is a folk tale about a chicken who believes that the sky is falling. The phrase "The sky is falling!" has become synonymous with alarmism and is used to describe people who needlessly incite fear among others.











































