Chicken Little
The 2005 Disney movie might have introduced the story of a chick who fears the sky is caving in to the modern world, but the fable has been around for centuries. And many of the earlier versions were nowhere near as sweet and innocent as the cartoon. Indeed, historians of folk takes believe this one goes back more than 2,500 years and has been used in a wide range of different cultures to warn of the dangers of mass hysteria.
For much of its history, the story upon which Chicken Little was based was passed down orally. The tale was of a young bird who, when an acorn falls on his head, becomes convinced the sky is caving in. He is determined to tell the king of the impending apocalypse and so sets off on a long journey. Along the way, he meets a variety of animals. They all believe his theory and join him on his mission, with the hysteria steadily increasing as the group grows in size.
In most early versions, the story ends in violence and bloodshed. Usually, the animals meet a fox who pretends to believe them. He invites Chicken Little and his buddies back to his home for a rest. But once they’re here, the wily fox eats all of them. By the 19th century, such violent versions of the fable began appearing in print. It was used as a warning of the dangers of giving into hysteria and believing outlandish claims. Of course, in the Disney version, the protagonist and his friends are spared this grisly fate – instead, they turn out to be heroes and end up living happily ever after.