“The sky is falling!"
These are the words Chicken Little expressed in despair when an acorn fell on his head, convincing him the world was about to end! Who is Chicken Little? He is the main character of a fable that has been written, and adapted, then adapted again (and again) over many decades from all over the globe.
Story synopsis - poor, unfortunate Chicken Little moves into a frenzied panic when an acorn (versions of said object differ, depending on adaptation, but I'm going with acorn) falls on his head. He is convinced 'the sky is falling' and begins a quest to alert the world of fowl, and other animals, including the king, that they are all doomed.
His peeps Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey (and others) unwittingly buy into his story and before they know it, they have spread hysteria throughout the barnyard and surrounding areas. All the animals are terrified the end is nigh!
Or are they? Cunning Foxy Loxy does not believe the masses and decides to use their fear to his advantage. He lures them into his cave where.........
....traditional versions of the tale have him and his kids gobbling them up for dinner......whilst later, more feel-good versions celebrate their escape and reaching the ear of the king.
Fables, from long ago, were usually created to teach something to children in story-form. And we are lucky to be still learning from them today. In fact, the phrase "the sky is falling' is still used in contemporary society to convey a fear that something is about to go terribly wrong.
What's the take-away for me? The earlier darker versions show how easily one painful experience has the power to spiral our thoughts, if left unchecked, into despair and catastrophe. We become convinced there is no way out and that everything we know, love and value is about to come crashing down around us.
That's from the perspective of Chicken Little.
From the perspective of Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, my take-away is not to believe everything you hear or read. Maybe do a little of your own research before you buy into someone else's perception of the world - particularly if it's apocalyptic.
And what about naughty, cunning, Foxy Loxy? Well, he knew there was always opportunity in chaos and used HIS head whilst those around him COULD NOT use theirs (because you can't think clearly or rationally when your mind and body is operating in fear). He saw an opportunity to feed his family, and no one can blame him for that.
This week there have been moments for me, if I've seen a news headline or clicked through to an article (I probably shouldn't have) when the thought 'the sky is falling' has popped into my mind. More unhelpful thoughts have done their very best to clamber aboard and catapult me into fear.
But then I remember Chicken Little. One moment of pain is not long-time suffering and does not necessarily ensure a catastrophe.
And Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey? The media LOVES to sensationalise and spread bad news. (This has become even MORE clear to me as I've spent time over the past few weeks searching for Good News Stories - they are, right now, quite challenging to find.) Maybe do my own research, and invest in conscious considered thought, before I entertain hysteria.
And what about Foxy Loxy? There are ALWAYS opportunities to love, laugh, practise kindness and feed our families. They are all around me. What am I choosing to focus on?
What's the take-away for you?
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