9Abandon Chicken Little, But Stop Sugarcoating

There is no greater impediment to the advancementof knowledge than the ambiguity of words.

THOMAS REID

Do you remember the fable of Chicken Little? Just in case you’ve forgotten this classic, let me refresh you: One day, Chicken Little is walking in the woods when an acorn falls on her head. “Oh, my goodness!” she says, “The sky is falling! I must go tell the king.” On the way to the palace, she meets Henny Penny going into the woods to hunt for berries. “Oh no, don’t go!” she says, “I was just there, and the sky was falling! Come with me to tell the king.” So Henny Penny follows her.

They follow along until they meet Cocky Locky, who was going into the woods to hunt for seeds. “Oh no, don’t go!” ...

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