Chicken Little: What Really Happened

The thing about mass panic is that it

The thing about mass panic is that it

starts with one person who is genuinely

starts with one person who is genuinely

right. Not metaphorically right, not

right. Not metaphorically right, not

emotionally right. Right. The acorn hit

emotionally right. Right. The acorn hit

Chicken Little on the head on a Tuesday

Chicken Little on the head on a Tuesday

[music] in October. And he felt it. A

[music] in October. And he felt it. A

small, hard, specific impact at the

small, hard, specific impact at the

crown of his skull. And he looked up and

crown of his skull. And he looked up and

the sky was exactly where it had always

the sky was exactly where it had always

been, vast and indifferent and blue. But

been, vast and indifferent and blue. But

something was different. He couldn't say

something was different. He couldn't say

what, just a quality of the light, a

what, just a quality of the light, a

pressure behind the eyes. The way the

pressure behind the eyes. The way the

oak trees leaves had gone very still

oak trees leaves had gone very still

even though there was wind. Something is

even though there was wind. Something is

wrong, he thought. Not the sky is

wrong, he thought. Not the sky is

falling. Just something is wrong, he

falling. Just something is wrong, he

told Henny Penny first because she was

told Henny Penny first because she was

closest. Something's wrong, he said. I

closest. Something's wrong, he said. I

don't know what, but [music] something.

don't know what, but [music] something.

Henny Pennney looked up from the ground

Henny Pennney looked up from the ground

where she'd been scratching. Her eyes

where she'd been scratching. Her eyes

did the thing eyes do when a person

did the thing eyes do when a person

decides in advance how to receive

decides in advance how to receive

information. The small flattening, the

information. The small flattening, the

pre-formed conclusion. You're being

pre-formed conclusion. You're being

dramatic, she said. I'm not being

dramatic, she said. I'm not being

dramatic. I'm being precise. I said

dramatic. I'm being precise. I said

something is wrong, not the world is

something is wrong, not the world is

ending. You look scared. I am scared.

ending. You look scared. I am scared.

That's the point. But Henny Pennney had

That's the point. But Henny Pennney had

already translated his careful, specific

already translated his careful, specific

something is wrong into the version she

something is wrong into the version she

could file and dismiss. Hysterical,

could file and dismiss. Hysterical,

overreacting, classic Chicken Little.

overreacting, classic Chicken Little.

[music] She walked away, clucking

[music] She walked away, clucking

softly, and told Ducky Lucky that

softly, and told Ducky Lucky that

Chicken Little had lost his mind again.

Chicken Little had lost his mind again.

Here is what was actually happening.

Here is what was actually happening.

three fields over, invisible from where

three fields over, invisible from where

any of them stood. [music] A man with a

any of them stood. [music] A man with a

machine was doing something to the water

machine was doing something to the water

table, had been doing it for 6 months.

table, had been doing it for 6 months.

The effects were slow and cumulative.

The effects were slow and cumulative.

The kind that don't show up until they

The kind that don't show up until they

show up everywhere at once. The oak

show up everywhere at once. The oak

trees root system had been registering

trees root system had been registering

it for weeks. The acorn that fell on

it for weeks. The acorn that fell on

Chicken Little's head fallen early.

Chicken Little's head fallen early.

Acorns don't fall early, not healthy

Acorns don't fall early, not healthy

ones. Not in October. Chicken Little did

ones. Not in October. Chicken Little did

not know about the water table. He knew

not know about the water table. He knew

nothing about root systems or cumulative

nothing about root systems or cumulative

[music] contamination or what early

[music] contamination or what early

acorns mean. He just knew something is

acorns mean. He just knew something is

wrong. He had felt it in his body before

wrong. He had felt it in his body before

he had words for it. The way animals

he had words for it. The way animals

know. By the time he reached Foxy

know. By the time he reached Foxy

Lockxy, there were seven of them. Henny,

Lockxy, there were seven of them. Henny,

Penny, Ducky, Lucky, Goosey, Lucy,

Penny, Ducky, Lucky, Goosey, Lucy,

Turkey Lurky, and two others whose names

Turkey Lurky, and two others whose names

don't matter because they never spoke.

don't matter because they never spoke.

Chicken Little had by now been passed

Chicken Little had by now been passed

through enough hands that his message

through enough hands that his message

had transformed completely. He had said,

had transformed completely. He had said,

"Something is wrong and I don't know

"Something is wrong and I don't know

what." What Foxy Lockxy heard, "The sky

what." What Foxy Lockxy heard, "The sky

is [music] falling and we must all run

is [music] falling and we must all run

to the king." Foxy Lockxy smiled. This

to the king." Foxy Lockxy smiled. This

is the part the stories always get

is the part the stories always get

right. The fox patient at the edge of a

right. The fox patient at the edge of a

crowd, waiting for the moment when fear

crowd, waiting for the moment when fear

outpaces thought. When the flock is

outpaces thought. When the flock is

moving too fast to ask where they're

moving too fast to ask where they're

going, "I know the way," said Foxy.

going, "I know the way," said Foxy.

Lockxy, follow me. They followed. Of

Lockxy, follow me. They followed. Of

course, they followed. They were already

course, they followed. They were already

moving. They were already frightened.

moving. They were already frightened.

direction felt like safety, even wrong

direction felt like safety, even wrong

direction. Chicken Little at the back of

direction. Chicken Little at the back of

the group tried to say, "Wait, that's

the group tried to say, "Wait, that's

not what I meant. I said something is

not what I meant. I said something is

wrong. Not that we need to run. Not that

wrong. Not that we need to run. Not that

the king can fix it. Not. But he was

the king can fix it. Not. But he was

already the boy who cried Sky." His

already the boy who cried Sky." His

credibility had been spent on the

credibility had been spent on the

translation errors of six other animals.

translation errors of six other animals.

By the time the message got back to him,

By the time the message got back to him,

it was unrecognizable as his [music]

it was unrecognizable as his [music]

pressed he stopped running. He stood in

pressed he stopped running. He stood in

the field while the others disappeared

the field while the others disappeared

into the treeine, following Foxy Lockxy

into the treeine, following Foxy Lockxy

to wherever Foxyoxy [music]

to wherever Foxyoxy [music]

went. He looked up. The sky was still

went. He looked up. The sky was still

there. It had always been there. That

there. It had always been there. That

wasn't the point. That had never been

wasn't the point. That had never been

the point. The investigation happened 14

the point. The investigation happened 14

months later after the wells went bad

months later after the wells went bad

and the oak trees started dying in rows.

and the oak trees started dying in rows.

By then, Foxy Lockxy was gone. No one

By then, Foxy Lockxy was gone. No one

could remember exactly [music] when he'd

could remember exactly [music] when he'd

left or where he'd taken. Everyone

left or where he'd taken. Everyone

accounts differed. Memories were foggy.

accounts differed. Memories were foggy.

The details had a way of sliding off

The details had a way of sliding off

when you tried to hold them. The man

when you tried to hold them. The man

with the machine had moved on to a

with the machine had moved on to a

different field. At the public hearing,

different field. At the public hearing,

someone brought up Chicken Little. He'd

someone brought up Chicken Little. He'd

said something was wrong that October.

said something was wrong that October.

He'd been the first. He said the sky was

He'd been the first. He said the sky was

falling. Someone else corrected. No,

falling. Someone else corrected. No,

Chicken Little said from the back of the

Chicken Little said from the back of the

room quietly. The way [music] you say a

room quietly. The way [music] you say a

thing when you've given up, expecting to

thing when you've given up, expecting to

be heard. I said something was wrong. I

be heard. I said something was wrong. I

never said the sky was falling. No one

never said the sky was falling. No one

wrote it down. The acorn is always real.

wrote it down. The acorn is always real.

The translation is where the danger

The translation is where the danger

lives. And somewhere in every crowd

lives. And somewhere in every crowd

moving too fast toward a smiling fox,

moving too fast toward a smiling fox,

there is one small voice saying, "Wait,

there is one small voice saying, "Wait,

not that I said something different. It

not that I said something different. It

is still saying it. It will always

is still saying it. It will always

[music] be saying

[music] be saying