14 THE HEN WHO WENT TO HIGH DOVER

I

Once a hen was in the woods.

When night came she flew up into an oak tree and went to sleep.

Soon she had a dream.

She dreamed that she would find a nest of gold en eggs if she went to High Dover.

She woke up with a jump.

“I must go to High Dover.”she said.

“I must find the nest of golden eggs.”

So she flew out of the tree and went up the road.

When she had gone a little way, she met a cock.

“Good-day, Cocky Locky! ”said the hen.

“Good-day, Henny Penny! Where are you going so early? ”said the cock.

“I am going to High Dover. I shall find a nest of golden eggs there, ”said the hen.

“Who told you that, Henny Penny? ”asked the cock.

“I sat in the oak tree last night and dreamed it, ”said the hen.

“I will go with you, ”said the cock.

II

So they went a long way together until they met a duck.

“Good-day, Ducky Lucky! ”said the cock.

“Good-day, Cocky Locky! Where are you going so early? ”asked the duck.

“I am going to High Dover. I shall find a nest of golden eggs there, ”said the cock.

“Who told you that, Cocky Locky? ”asked the duck.

“Henny Penny! ”said the cock.

“Who told you that, Henny Penny? ”asked the duck.

“I sat in the oak tree last night and dreamed it, ”said the hen.

“I will go with you! ”said the duck.

So they went a long way together until they met a gander.

“Good-day, Gandy Pandy! ”said the duck.

“Good-day, Ducky Lucky! ”said the gander.

“Where are you going so early? ”

“I am going to High Dover. I shall find a nest of golden eggs there, ”said the duck.

“Who told you that, Ducky Lucky? ”asked the gander.

“Cocky Locky! ”

“Who told you that, Cocky Locky? ”

“Henny Penny.”

“How do you know that, Henny Penny? ”asked the gander.

“I sat in the oak tree last night and dreamed it, ”said the hen.

“I will go with you! ”said the gander.

III

So they went a long way together until they met a fox.

“Good-day, Foxy Woxy! ”said the gander.

“Good-day, Gandy Pandy! Where are you going so early? ”asked the fox.

“I am going to High Dover. I shall find a nest of golden eggs there.”said the gander. “Who told you that, Gandy Pandy? ”

“Ducky Lucky! ”

“Who told you that, Ducky Lucky? ”asked the fox.

“Cocky Locky! ”

“Who told you that, Cocky Locky? ”

“Henny Penny! ”

“How do you know that, Henny Penny? ”

“I sat in the oak tree last night and dreamed it, Foxy Woxy, ”said the hen.

“How foolish you are! ”said the fox.

“There is no nest of golden eggs at High Dover. You are cold and tired. Come with me to my warm den.”

So they all went with the fox to his den.

They all got warm and sleepy.

The duck and the gander went to sleep in a corner.

But the cock and the hen slept on a roost.

IV

When they were asleep, the fox ate the gander and the duck.

Just then the hen waked up. She saw Cocky Locky near her. She looked for Gandy Pandy and Ducky Lucky. She could not see them, but she saw feathers on the floor!

“I must fool the fox.”she said.

So she looked up the chimney.

“Oh! Oh! ”she called to the fox.

“Look at the geese flying by! ”

The fox ran out to see the geese. He wanted some geese to eat.

Then Henny Penny waked up Cocky Locky. She told him what she had seen.

“Fly! Fly! ”she cried.

“Let us get out of here! ”

So Cocky Locky and Henny Penny flew up the chimney.

Then they went to High Dover and found the nest of golden eggs.

( Norwegian Folk Tale )

Word list

de n: A hole in the ground where animals such as bears, foxes, and wolves live

feathers: the soft covering of birds

ch imney: the part of a house or building where smoke from fires escapes

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) What did Henny Penny dream?

2) What characters does Henny Penny meet on her way to find the golden eggs?

3) Do you think the first four characters Henny Penny meets believed that she would find the golden eggs? Why or why not?

4) Why do you think the animals wanted to go with Henny Penny?

5) What did the fox tell Henny Penny when she told him about her dream and finding golden eggs?

6) What happened to the duck and gander while they were sleeping in the fox's den?

7) How did Henny Penny save herself and Cocky Locky?

B) What's the word? Using the clues, write the correct words from the story.

1) a kind of tree: o _ _

2) a kind of bird that can swim: d _ _ _

3) a kind of wild dog: f _ _

4) a home for wild animals: d _ _

5) birds that often fly in groups: g _ _ _ _

C) True or false? Read these sentences carefully. Write true or false for each one.

1) _____ Cocky Locky and Henny Penny found the nest of golden eggs.

2) _____ The fox helped Cocky Locky and Henny Penny.

3) _____ Henny Penny fooled the fox.

4) _____ The fox ate the golden eggs.

5) _____ The geese ate the fox.