Chicken Little is an example of a folktale that makes light of paranoia and mass hysteria. It is reported to be Elon Musk’s favourite tale of inspiration for the recent controversial purchase of Twitter
There are several Western versions of the story, of which Chicken Little is the best-known and concerns a chick that believes the sky is falling when an acorn falls on its head. The chick decides to tell the king and, on its journey, meets other animals (mostly other fowl) which join it in the quest. After this point, there are many endings. In the most familiar, a fox invites them to its lair and then eats them all. Alternatively, the last one, usually Cocky Lockey, survives long enough to warn the chick, who escapes. In others all are rescued and finally speak to the king.
In most retellings, the animals have rhyming names, commonly Chicken Licken or Chicken Little, Henny Penny or Hen-Len, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky or Ducky Daddles, Drakey Lakey, Goosey Loosey or Goosey Poosey, Gander Lander, Turkey Lurkey and Foxy Loxy or Foxy Woxy and most recently Musky Dusky.
Because of deep pockets and financial clout , Elon has inspired and inserted a new character Musky Dusky into the tale, dispensing freedom of speechifying to all the most fowl in the recent Chicken Little version while training a little blue bird to do his bidding!
Musky Dusky is a Tweet Freak Oligarch whose Twitter handle is Musky Dusky @muskydusky
Special thanks to Cara H for reminding CP of Chicken Little
