The past several weeks have been quite an adventure for me. I have been studying and researching five different stories (for an English as a foreign language teaching project) in order to write songs about them. The first two songs came quite easily for the story of "Henny Penny and Chicken Licken." What I learned about this story was quite compelling. I learned that this was a very old story with similar origins from many cultures. It was finally written down in storybook form in the early 19th century in England. I learned that the rhyming names -- Henny Penny, Turkey Lurkey, Cocky Locky, and others -- were used in order to help beginner readers enjoy the patterns of the English language.
I also learned that during WWII, this story was used to illustrate the situation of fear-mongering going on between the Nazis and the Allies. The name "Chicken Licken" became an idiom to describe those who foolishly followed their irrational fears. The phrase "The sky is falling" became an idiom describing those irrational fears. And, of course, "Foxy Loxy" came to represent those fear-mongers who prey on the weak and gullible.
I also learned that during WWII, this story was used to illustrate the situation of fear-mongering going on between the Nazis and the Allies. The name "Chicken Licken" became an idiom to describe those who foolishly followed their irrational fears. The phrase "The sky is falling" became an idiom describing those irrational fears. And, of course, "Foxy Loxy" came to represent those fear-mongers who prey on the weak and gullible.
Art by Gabriel Evans So, obviously, the first song, "The Sky Is Falling," needed to introduce what happens in the story. Chicken Licken, the very small and very naive young chick, goes out walking one Autumn day, when suddenly a little acorn falls onto her head. She does not know what to think, so she runs to tell her mother that the sky is falling and a part of it has fallen on her head. She gets Henny Penny all worked up and they decide to go tell the king together. On their way, they find other gullible fowl who also go along with them. Down the road, they meet a clever fox who says that he will gladly show them the way to find the king. Instead, he leads them into his den and gobbles them up. This is actually a very disturbing end of the story for the young readers. I needed to make the music upbeat and fun despite the fact of the silly birds untimely demise.
The second song, "The Clever Plan," needed to sum up the story and I decided that it also needed to explain a clear moral. So, in a minor mode with sneaky sounding accompaniment, I retold how the fox had a clever plan to lure the fowl to his den. "He took advantage of a foolish fear and got himself a meal." Then, "The moral of this tale is clear: Don't be persuaded by a foolish fear. Just get the facts before you act, or you will be the fool!"
Eventually, I would like to create a full scale Children's Musical developing this tale. I think this idea of being courageous when confronting your fears is an important part of growing up. We certainly have many factors in our world today that may make us think that the sky is falling down around us. Perhaps we all need to be reminded not to be persuaded by a foolish fear!
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Now available: "The Tale of Chicken Licken" - 30 minute children's musical for ages 5-12
The second song, "The Clever Plan," needed to sum up the story and I decided that it also needed to explain a clear moral. So, in a minor mode with sneaky sounding accompaniment, I retold how the fox had a clever plan to lure the fowl to his den. "He took advantage of a foolish fear and got himself a meal." Then, "The moral of this tale is clear: Don't be persuaded by a foolish fear. Just get the facts before you act, or you will be the fool!"
Eventually, I would like to create a full scale Children's Musical developing this tale. I think this idea of being courageous when confronting your fears is an important part of growing up. We certainly have many factors in our world today that may make us think that the sky is falling down around us. Perhaps we all need to be reminded not to be persuaded by a foolish fear!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Now available: "The Tale of Chicken Licken" - 30 minute children's musical for ages 5-12
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