<P> The story was part of the oral folk tradition and only began to appear in print after the Brothers Grimm had set a European example with their collection of German tales in the early years of the 19th century . One of the earliest to collect tales from Scandinavian sources was Just Mathias Thiele, who in 1823 published an early version of the Henny Penny story in the Danish language . The names of the characters there are Kylling Kluk, Høne Pøne, Hane Pane, And Svand, Gaase Paase, and Ræv Skræv . In Thiele's untitled account, a nut falls on Kylling Kluk's back and knocks him over . He then goes to each of the other characters, proclaiming that "I think all the world is falling" and setting them all running . The fox Ræv Skræv joins in the flight and, when they reach the wood, counts them over from behind and eats them one by one . Eventually the tale was translated into English by Benjamin Thorpe after several other versions had appeared . </P> <P> Once the story began to appear in the English language, the titles by which they went varied considerably and have continued to do so . John Greene Chandler (1815 - 1879), an illustrator and wood engraver from Petersham, Massachusetts, published an illustrated children's book titled The Remarkable Story of Chicken Little in 1840 . In this American version of the story, the characters' names are Chicken Little, Hen - Pen, Duck - Luck, Goose - Loose, and Fox - Lox; Chicken Little is frightened by a leaf falling on her tail . </P> <P> A Scots version of the tale is found in Robert Chambers's Popular Rhymes, Fireside Stories, and Amusements of Scotland of 1842 . It appeared among the "Fireside Nursery Stories" and was titled "The hen and her fellow travellers". The characters included Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Daddles, Goosie Poosie, and an unnamed "tod" (fox). Henny Penny became convinced that "the lifts were faun" (the heavens were falling) when a pea fell on her head . </P> <P> In 1849, a "very different" English version was published under the title "The Story of Chicken - Licken" by Joseph Orchard Halliwell . In this Chicken - licken was startled when "an acorn fell on her bald pate" and encounters the characters Hen - len, Cock - lock, Duck - luck, Drake - lake, Goose - loose, Gander - lander, Turkey - lurkey and Fox - lox . </P>

Story of chicken little the sky is falling