It Is Quite True
by Unknown · from Tales of Laughter: A third fairy book
Adapted Version
How does one feather become a big story? A hen heard a scary tale. It made her very afraid. She did not sleep alone. We will tell you the real story now. It started with a feather.
The White Hen lived on a farm. She had soft, white feathers. She laid good eggs every day. One night, she flew to her bed. A feather fell from her wing. "Oh, my feather!" she said. She was a happy hen. She did not think about it.
The Nosy Hen did not sleep. She heard the White Hen. She heard a little bit. She told her friend. "The White Hen lost many feathers!" she said. "She looks very silly now. She is not pretty. This was not true.
The Nosy Hen left her home. She went to Mama Owl's house. Mama Owl had big ears. The Nosy Hen spoke to her. "The White Hen lost ALL feathers!" she said. "She wanted everyone to see her. She did this on purpose."
Mama Owl flew to her friends. She saw The Pigeons. "Have you heard?" she asked them. "The White Hen lost all her feathers. She will be very, very cold. She might get sick from cold. The Pigeons heard.
The Pigeons flew to the farm. They cooed loudly. "Two hens lost all their feathers!" they said. "One hen wanted everyone to look. Both hens got very sick. They went to sleep. The story grew bigger.
The story flew to many farms. It came back to the first farm. Now it was about five hens. "Five hens lost all their feathers!" they said. "The Rooster was very, very sad. He was very upset." Story grew big.
The White Hen heard the story. She heard about five hens. She heard about the sad Rooster. "What a strange story!" she thought. She did not know this story. It was not her story. She was very surprised.
The White Hen was a good hen. She did not like untrue stories. "I will tell the truth," she said. "I will tell everyone in a loud voice. I will put it in a book. Then everyone will know the real story."
The big news book printed the story. It changed the story more. One small feather became five hens! See how one feather became a big story? We must always tell the truth. Do not change stories.
Original Story
It Is Quite True
“What a dreadful story!” exclaimed a hen; “it so frightened me that I did not dare to sleep alone in the hen-house all night. I was glad there were so many of us.” And she began to relate to the other hens who were on the roosting-perch above, the story she had heard, till their feathers stood on end, and even the cock let his comb droop, it was so dreadful.
But we will begin at the beginning, and discover what really had happened in the hen-house on the other side of the town.
One evening just before sunset the hens as usual went early to roost, and among them was a pretty hen with white feathers and short legs, who laid regularly such fine eggs that she was very valuable, and much esteemed by all her relations.
As this hen was flying up in the hen-house to the roosting-perch, she either pecked or scratched herself with her beak till one of her feathers fell off.
“There goes another,” she said good humoredly; “how beautiful I shall look if one falls off every time I scratch myself.” This white hen was not only very much esteemed, but also the merriest of all the hens in the hen-house.
But she forgot all about the fallen feather, and was soon asleep.
It became quite dark. The hens were seated side by side near each other on the perch, but one of them could not sleep, for she had partly heard what the white hen said.
The wakeful hen stayed and thought, and then said to her next neighbor: “Have you heard? I name no one, but a hen has plucked out all her feathers, and is not fit to be seen. If I were the cock, I should despise her.”
The gossiping hen soon after left the hen-house, and went 398to visit an owl who lived just opposite with her husband and children. The owl families have very sharp ears, and they heard every word that their neighbor the hen said, and the little ones rolled their eyes about while the mother owl fanned herself with her wings.
“To repeat just what you have been told is nothing,” continued the hen, “but I really and truly heard what was said with my own ears, and people must hear a great deal, even if they do disapprove. It is about a hen who has forgotten what was due to herself in her high position; she has pulled out all her feathers, and then allowed the world to see her in that bare condition.”
“Prenez garde aux enfants,” said the owl father, “all this is not fit for the children to hear.”
“I will just fly over and tell my neighbor,” said the mother owl; “she is a very highly esteemed owl, and worthy of our acquaintance.”
“Hu! hu! uhu!” howled the children, as the mother flew away and passed by her neighbors, the pigeons, who were in the pigeon-house.
“Have you heard—have you heard about the hen that has plucked off all her feathers, and is going about quite bare? She will freeze to death, if she is not dead already.”
“Ooo! Ooo!” cooed the pigeons.
“I heard of it in the neighboring farm-yard,” said another; “I have as good as seen it with my own eyes. The story is really so improper that no one cares to relate it, but it is certainly true.”
“We believe it, we believe every word,” said the pigeons, and they flew down cooing to the farm-yard, and exclaimed:
“Have you heard about the hen?”
“The hen! why, people now say there are two hens who have plucked off all their feathers; yet one of them is not like the first, who did not wish to be seen, for she has positively tried to attract the attention of everybody.”
“It was a daring game; however, they caught cold, and are both dead from a fever.”
399“Wake up! wake up!” crowed the cock as he flew out of the hen-house to the palings. Sleep was still in his eyes, yet he stood and crowed lustily.
“Listen,” said the hen. “There is a cock in the next farm who has unluckily lost three of his wives; they had plucked off all their feathers, and died of cold.”
“Go away!” he exclaimed. “I will not hear it—it is an ugly story. Send it away!”
“Send it away!” hissed the bat, while the hens cackled and the cock crowed.
“Send it away! send it away!” and so the story flew from one farm-yard to another, until it came back at last to the place where the original circumstance occurred.
“There are five hens,” thus now ran the story, “who have plucked off all their feathers, at least so they say; and it made the cock so unhappy that he became quite thin. And he has pecked himself so dreadfully ever since from indignation and shame that at last he has fallen down and died, covered with blood. For these hens had not only disgraced his family, but occasioned a great loss to his owner.”
And the hen who had really lost the one feather naturally could not recognize her own story, but she was a sensible, worthy hen, and she said:
“I despise these cackling hens; however, there shall be no more tittle-tattle of this sort. When people have a secret among themselves to gossip about in future, I will find it out, and send it to the newspapers, so that it may travel through the whole land and be heard of by everybody.
“This will just serve these cackling hens and their families right.”
And the newspapers took it up and so altered the wonderful story that at the last “it was actually true”—“ONE LITTLE FEATHER HAD BECOME FIVE HENS!”
Hans Christian Andersen.
Story DNA
Moral
Gossip spreads rapidly and distorts the truth, turning a small incident into a monstrous falsehood with damaging consequences.
Plot Summary
A valuable white hen accidentally loses a single feather and makes a casual remark. A wakeful hen overhears and exaggerates the incident, claiming the white hen plucked all her feathers. This false story then spreads rapidly through the farm animals—owls, pigeons, and others—with each retelling adding more dramatic and damaging falsehoods, escalating from one bare hen to five dead hens and a deceased cock. The original white hen eventually hears the monstrously distorted tale, unable to recognize her own innocent incident. Ironically, she decides to combat future gossip by sending it to newspapers, which further twists her story into a 'truth' about one feather becoming five hens.
Themes
Emotional Arc
calm to chaos
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Hans Christian Andersen often used animal fables to satirize human foibles and societal issues of his time, such as the spread of rumors and public opinion.
Plot Beats (10)
- A hen expresses terror over a story she heard, prompting the narrator to explain its origin.
- A valuable white hen on a farm accidentally loses a single feather while roosting and jokes about it.
- Another hen, partially overhearing, exaggerates the incident to her neighbor, claiming the white hen plucked all her feathers and is 'not fit to be seen'.
- The gossiping hen visits an owl family and further distorts the story, implying the hen deliberately exposed herself.
- The mother owl, in turn, tells the pigeons that the hen plucked all her feathers and will freeze to death.
- The pigeons spread the story to other farm animals, claiming there are now two hens who plucked their feathers, one of whom 'tried to attract attention', and both died of fever.
- The story continues to spread, eventually returning to the original farm, now claiming five hens plucked their feathers, causing the cock to die of shame and indignation.
- The original white hen hears this monstrously exaggerated version of her own story and doesn't recognize it.
- The white hen, ironically, decides that to combat gossip, she will send future secrets to newspapers to ensure they travel through the land, believing this will serve the gossiping hens right.
- The newspapers take up the story, further altering it until the single lost feather becomes 'five hens'.
Characters
The Pretty White Hen
A small, plump hen with short legs and pristine white feathers. She appears well-fed and healthy, indicating good care.
Attire: Her natural plumage of soft, pure white feathers.
Wants: To live a peaceful, productive life, laying fine eggs and enjoying her existence.
Flaw: Her initial naivety and lack of awareness that a simple, innocent comment could be twisted into malicious gossip.
She begins as a carefree, well-regarded hen who innocently loses a feather. She ends as a wise, determined character who, upon hearing the wildly distorted version of her own story, decides to combat gossip by making it public and undeniable.
Good-humored, merry, sensible, worthy, esteemed, and initially oblivious to gossip.
The Wakeful Hen
A typical hen, perhaps a bit leaner or more agitated in appearance than the 'Pretty White Hen', with common hen plumage (e.g., brown or speckled feathers).
Attire: Standard hen plumage, likely brown or speckled, without any distinguishing features.
Wants: To spread sensational stories, perhaps out of boredom or a desire for attention/drama.
Flaw: Her inability to discern truth from exaggeration, and her compulsion to spread rumors.
She initiates the entire chain of gossip, remaining consistent in her role as a rumor-monger.
Gossipy, malicious, imaginative (in a negative way), restless, judgmental.
The Mother Owl
A large, wise-looking owl with soft, mottled brown and grey feathers, large round eyes, and a broad wingspan. She appears well-groomed and imposing.
Attire: Her natural plumage of mottled brown and grey feathers, providing excellent camouflage.
Wants: To share interesting news and maintain social connections within her community.
Flaw: Her eagerness to believe and spread gossip without verification.
She receives the exaggerated story and immediately contributes to its spread, demonstrating the rapid escalation of gossip.
Gullible, eager to gossip, social, somewhat self-important (referring to her 'highly esteemed' neighbor).
The Pigeons
A flock of common pigeons, with iridescent neck feathers, grey bodies, and pinkish feet. They are agile flyers.
Attire: Their natural grey and iridescent plumage.
Wants: To spread news and participate in the social dynamics of the farm-yard.
Flaw: Their unquestioning belief in rumors and their tendency to amplify them.
They receive the story from the Mother Owl and further distort it, adding more hens and more dramatic details, showing how quickly a rumor can grow.
Gullible, excitable, prone to exaggeration, communal.
The Cock
A proud, robust rooster with vibrant, iridescent feathers, a large red comb, and prominent wattles. He is strong and imposing.
Attire: His magnificent plumage, likely a mix of red, green, and black iridescent feathers.
Wants: To protect his flock and maintain order, and to uphold his dignity.
Flaw: His susceptibility to the emotional impact of gossip, leading to his eventual demise in the exaggerated story.
He starts by being dismayed by the initial story, then dismisses it, but ultimately becomes a tragic figure in the final, wildly exaggerated version of the rumor, dying of shame and indignation.
Initially dismayed, proud, protective (of his wives/family), dismissive of ugly stories, later becomes a victim of the gossip.
Locations
The Hen-house (Original)
A simple, rustic wooden structure where hens roost. It is dark inside, with wooden perches for the hens to sleep on. The air is still and quiet, save for the rustling of feathers.
Mood: Initially peaceful and sleepy, then tense with whispered gossip
A white hen loses a single feather, initiating the chain of gossip. The first whispered conversation between hens occurs here.
The Owl's Dwelling
Likely a hollow in a large tree or a small, dark, cozy den. It is a family home for owls, suggesting a slightly cluttered but secure space. The atmosphere is one of hushed attention as the owls listen intently.
Mood: Eerie, secretive, and slightly judgmental
The gossiping hen visits the owl family to spread the exaggerated story, which the owls eagerly absorb and further distort.
The Pigeon-house
A structure designed for pigeons, likely with multiple nesting boxes or ledges. It is a place where pigeons gather and coo, suggesting a busy, communal environment. The sound of cooing fills the air.
Mood: Excited, bustling, and easily swayed
The mother owl flies to the pigeon-house to share the story, which the pigeons immediately believe and then spread further to the farmyard.
The Farmyard
A bustling, open area common to a rural farm, where various animals roam. It features palings (fences) and is a central hub for animal activity and communication. The ground is likely dirt or packed earth.
Mood: Lively, chaotic, and prone to rapid spread of information
The pigeons bring the story to the farmyard, where it continues to evolve and spread among the hens and the cock, eventually returning to its origin completely distorted.