Say why: 1) Henny-penny thought the sky was falling when an acorn hit her on the head. 2) Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey went together with Henny-penny to the king’s palace. 3) They believed Foxy-woxy and followed him into the cave. 4) Henny-penny never told the king the sky was falling. What’s your opinion? 1) Do you know the expression cunning as a fox? How do you understand it? 2) Is Foxy-woxy cunning? Prove it. Tell your classmates: 1) what lies Foxy-woxy told Henny-penny and her friends to make them follow him into his cave; 2) how he bit off the heads of Henny-penny’s friends; 3) why he didn’t bite off Henny-penny’s head. Do you know any Russian tales about a cunning fox? What tricks does he play in them?

1. Henny-penny thought the sky was falling because an acorn hit her on the head. She did not understand what had really happened.

2. They went together because they believed Henny-penny’s story and wanted to tell the king that the sky was falling.

3. They followed Foxy-woxy because he lied to them. He said that he knew a shorter and safer way to the king’s palace, but in fact he led them into his cave.

4. Henny-penny never told the king because Foxy-woxy ate her before they reached the palace.

The expression cunning as a fox means very clever and sly, especially at deceiving others. Foxy-woxy was cunning: he invented a convincing lie, gained the birds’ confidence, led them into his cave and ate them one by one.

Foxy-woxy told Henny-penny and her friends that he knew a secret shortcut to the king’s palace and that his cave was the safest way there. He bit off the heads of the birds after they entered the cave, one after another, so that the others would not immediately understand the danger. He did not bite off Henny-penny’s head at once because he wanted to use her to attract more birds into the cave.

In Russian folk tales, the fox is usually cunning and deceptive. For example, in The Fox and the Wolf, she tricks the wolf into catching fish with his tail in an ice hole and then takes advantage of him. In The Fox and the Crane, she invites the crane to food served on a flat plate, knowing that he cannot eat it. The fox often wins by using lies, flattery and clever plans.