Fairy Tales 3 - Chicken Little Series

I. Introduction

These are the stories we learned as children. Either told to us by parents or at school as we gathered at the feet of our teachers. These tales taught us life lessons and truths that we had to think through to grasp. However, unknown to many of us they also taught us significant spiritual truths! Let's look at one of these fairytales we know so well and see if we can unwrap a spiritual truth that is in it.

This particular fairytale was first published in English in 1800's and has remained a mainstay in schools, bedtime stories and of course has been made into a movie by Disney. It has carried several names including Henny Penny. However, you would probably best recognize it by the title . . . Chicken Little.

One day Chicken Little was playing in the yard when, whack, an acorn hit her on the head. “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” she said. “I have to tell Cocky Locky.” “Cocky Locky! Cocky Locky! The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Cocky Locky said, “It is? Well then, we have to tell Ducky Daddles!” “Ducky Daddles! Ducky Daddles! The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Ducky Daddles said, “It is? Well then, we have to tell Goosey Poosey!” “Goosey Poosey! Goosey Poosey! The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Goosey Poosey said, “It is? Well then, we have to tell Turkey Lurkey!” “Turkey Lurkey! Turkey Lurkey! The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Turkey Lurkey said, “It is? Well then, we have to tell the king!” But on the way to tell the king, they met Foxy Woxy. “Foxy Woxy! Foxy Woxy! The sky is falling! The sky is falling! We have to tell the king!” Foxy Woxy said, “I can help! Follow me! I know a shortcut to the king.” Foxy Woxy led Chicken Little, Cocky Locky, Ducky Daddles, Goosey Poosey, and Turkey Lurkey right to his den. He licked his lips and said, “Step inside to see the king.” “Tricky Foxy Woxy! The king is not in there!” they shouted and ran away as fast as they could. At last, they arrived at the castle. “King! King! The sky is falling! The sky is falling! A piece of it fell on my head!” “The sky is not falling. An acorn fell on your head,” the king chuckled as he plucked the acorn from Chicken Little’s head. And so, Turkey Lurkey, Goosey Poosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, and Chicken Little went back home. “Whew! The sky is NOT falling!”

This simple tale teaches us truth. I want you to notice a few things before I take you to a parallel Scriptural account. In Chicken Little's world the sky WAS indeed falling. Notice that everyone around Chicken Little agreed that the assumption, evaluation, conclusion that the sky was falling was in fact correct. I also want you to notice that that Foxy Woxy tried to take advantage of the dire situation and use it to destroy Chicken Little and friends. And finally notice that the misunderstanding about the sky falling was only resolved when they were able to get the King to correct their thinking.

I wonder how many of us, with our limited perspective and field of view, have concluded that the sky is falling? In our world with pandemics, storms, political unrest, opposing views, unending clashes it is easy to come to this conclusion. For some we have come to this assertion not because of what is happening in the world at large but rather because of what is happening under our tree. Things are falling down not only around us, but on us.

We have tasted tragedy.

We have felt fear.

We have been injured by injustice.

We have been hit with heartache.

We have been punched with pain.

We have stabbed with sickness.

It is an easy and logical conclusion to cry "The sky is falling." In our world that seems to be true. And to make matters worse, because of our plight, our pain, our path those around us agree. When others see the terrible things that we are going through. When others see the amount of pain that has hit our lives. When others see the number of tears that we have cried. They assume no one can endure this. No one can overcome this. No one can kick this. No one can defeat this. So, they examine the brokenness that has been cascading over our lives and they sit back and like Job's friends of old they see no way out and see no end in sight, so they shake their head in pity and join the cry . . . “the sky is falling - curse God and die”.

And just like in the account, old Foxy Woxy isn't far behind. The one who capitalizes on our catastrophe. The one who cashes in our crushing. Ready to make a meal of us. Ready to finish the job that the pain started. He tries to lure us in to total loss of hope. Complete control of fear. He wants to lure us into an inescapable dungeon of despair. At our lowest and most vulnerable moment the old fox shows up in an attempt to get us to give up. He tries to steal the last ounce of hope and trust we have left. He tries to trap us so that we are never able to move past the problem, the pain, the memory, or the moment.