Henny Penny

Do you remember the story of Henny Penny or Chicken Licken? This was the one where an acorn falls on the chick's head and he automatically assumes, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" 

Can you name some of the other characters in the story?

• Cocky Locky
• Ducky Lucky
• Goosey Loosey
• Gander Lander
• Turkey Lurkey
• Foxy Loxy

Well, we have had our own little Henny Penny at our house for about the past 13 years or so. 

 

This isn't really him but it's a close double. 

Henny came to us when Lizzie was about five. Lori Reisig had rescued this little fellow from the parking lot outside of the JC Penney's. She said he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders or like he felt that disaster was eminent. Hence the name, Henny Penny. But Lori couldn't keep him so she gave him to our Lizzie for me to take care of (you know how that goes). 

Henny disappeared 6 days ago -- he was NOT a wanderer. He had been losing weight and had gotten very frail. But he seemed happy enough -- purring and talking to me often. Unfortunately, I think it's safe to say that Henny probably wandered off to find a place to die. 

I hate that. Every day I've gone out to check around for him, hopeful that he will come around the corner or meet me by the food bowls. It's not looking good. 

If this is true and Henny is gone, that means that we are down to three pets at our house -- one skidish little rescue dog, one fat indoor rescue cat, and one svelte outdoor hunter-cat (also a rescue). It's a little bit sad. I wonder if the remaining animals wonder where Henny is. Will my hunter miss having the warmth of his body in the cat bed at night this winter? 

Henny was a pretty good ol' boy. I'll miss him.