Chapter XII: Cinderella 113

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WHAT HAPPENED TO HENNY PENNY.

CHARACTERS.

HENNY PENNY.
COCKIE LOCKIE.
TURKY LURKY.
DUCKY DADDLES.
GOOSEY POOSEY.
MR. FOX.

WHAT HAPPENED TO HENNY PENNY.

H. P.--Oh dear me! Oh dear me! What was it, I wonder? What could it have been? I must scream for help. Help! Help!

_Enter_ COCKIE LOCKIE.

C. L.--What's the matter? Henny Penny, what is happening?

H. P.--Oh dear me! I don't know what it was, that is the worst of it.

C. L.--You don't know what it was?

H. P.--How should I, when I never saw it? It fell on to my head.

C. L.--_What_ fell on to your head? What a stupid hen you are!

H. P.--I was under a beanstack pecking about, and suddenly something fell from the top of the stack on to my head. I thought at first it was a bean or a piece of stick, but now I think of it, I am sure it was something much heavier--a piece of the sky, or something of that sort.

C. L.--A piece of the sky falling out! But, Henny, this is serious.

H. P.--Of course! That's what I feel. That's why I screamed at once for help.

C. L.--You see, if the sky is coming to bits, I think the Queen of England ought to know it.

H. P.--I think she ought. Let's go and tell her!

C. L.--Agreed! We'll start at once. I'll just crow first very loud that everybody may know something is happening.

H. P.--Very well, and I'll cluck.

(_They crow and cluck._)

C. L.--Now, then, we can start.

(_A voice outside is heard._)

VOICE.--Hullo there! Cockie Lockie! Henny Penny!

C. L.--There's that stupid Ducky Daddles.

_Enter_ DUCKY DADDLES.

C. L.--Well, Ducky Daddles, what do you want?

D. D.--I just wanted to come and have a chat. I saw you and Henny Penny starting off for a pleasant walk together, and I thought I'd come too.

C. L.--Ah! but this is no common walk.

H. P.--Indeed it is not.

D. D.--Why, where are you going to?

C. L.--We're going to London to see the Queen.

D. D.--The Queen! What for?

H. P.--To tell her a most important piece of news.

C. L.--A great piece of the sky fell out close to Henny Penny's head, and nearly killed her.

D. D.--Dear me! That is important. The Queen ought to know it at once. I'll come with you.

C. L.--You! Do you think you can walk so far?

D. D.--Oh, dear, yes! Besides, I daresay, we shall find some place on the road where we can get slugs or snails, or something of that sort, in case I feel faint.

C. L.--Very well, then, are you ready? Now we'll start.

D. D.--Come on, then. I'll just quack first to let people know where I am.

(_Quacks. They prepare to start off arm in arm. A voice outside
is heard._)

VOICE.--Hullo! Cockie Lockie! Henny Penny! Ducky Daddles!

C. L.--Now, what is it? We shall never get off at this rate.

D. D.--It is that silly Goosey Poosey.

_Enter_ GOOSEY POOSEY.

G. P.--There you are, Ducky Daddles! I've been looking for you everywhere!

C. L.--What do you want?

G. P.--I just wanted to see what you were doing, and have a chat. What a horrid day it is! the roads are so dry there is no walking in them.

D. D.--Well, I am sorry I've not time to stay with you. I'm just off to London to see the Queen.

G. P.--You, Ducky Daddles! Something very strange must have happened to make you go so far.

D. D.--Indeed it has, and what do you think?

C. L.--Guess what fell on to Henny Penny's head.

G. P.--An acorn, or perhaps even a chestnut.

D. D.--A chestnut! Oh, if that were all! No, my friend. It was a piece of the sky, a great, solid slab of blue sky, that fell _clump_ on to the top of poor Henny Penny's head, and nearly killed her.

G. P.--Oh, how terrible! Have you sent for the police?

C. L.--No, we're going to London to tell the Queen. We think she ought to know.

G. P.--Indeed she ought, and at once. I'll come with you to see what she says.

C. L.--Very well! Only you must not keep waiting to splash about in all the puddles, then.

G. P.--Of course not, when I'm out walking on business.

C. L.--Very well, then, we'll start without losing any more time.

G. P.--I'll just hiss first in case there's an enemy in the road. (_Hisses._) Now, then, I'm ready.

C. L.--Then let us start.

(COCKIE LOCKIE _arm in arm with_ HENNY PENNY. GOOSEY POOSEY
_arm in arm with_ DUCKY DADDLES. _A voice outside is heard._)

VOICE.--Cockie Lockie! Henny Penny! Goosey Poosey! Ducky Daddles!

C. L.--Dear me! We shall never get to London.

G. P.--It's that gobbling Turky Lurky!

_Enter_ TURKY LURKY.

T. L.--Ha! ha! my friends. This is very nice. Oho! Aha! Where are you all off to so merrily?

C. L.--Not merrily, indeed! Our business is most serious.

T. L.--You make my feathers stand on end. What _is_ the matter?

G. P.--Haven't you heard? The most terrible thing has happened!

H. P.--One half of the sky fell on me as I was sitting under a haystack, and we don't know what is going to happen next.

T. L.--Oh dear! This _is_ terrible! Suppose the other half were to come down?

C. L.--Exactly! That's what we're afraid of. We're going to the Queen of England to see what she can do.

T. L.--A very good thing to do! I'll come with you and explain it all to her. Oho!

C. L.--Are you sure you're not too fat to walk so far?

T. L.--Too fat! Aha! On the contrary, I shall make you look respectable. We shall be admitted to the Queen at once. I'll just gobble first to let her know we're coming.

(_Gobbles. They prepare to start as before_, TURKY _in front. A
voice outside is heard._)

VOICE.--Stop! Stop! Good people, one moment, if you please.

D. D.--Why it's Mr. Fox!

H. P.--Is it safe to let him come?

T. L.--Oh dear, yes! There are quite enough of us to be a match for him. Oho! Aha!

_Enter_ MR. FOX.

MR. F.--Good afternoon, my friends. What a pleasant gathering you have here! You look as though you were going to enjoy yourselves.

C. L.--Alas! No! Nothing so festive. We are going to London on most serious business.

MR. F.--To London?

G. P.--Yes, indeed! The whole sky has got loose and is slipping about in the most dangerous manner.

D. D.--It would have killed Henny Penny if she hadn't got under a beanstack.

MR. F.--Oh how horrible! What shall we do?

C. L.--We're going to London to tell the Queen.

MR. F.--To London! Why, that is capital! I'm going there myself.