Love’s Fowl started in as a birthday gift, a home-made puppet theatre for my 5 year old nephew, Jim. The puppets were inspired by my mother's extensive collection of clothespin Christmas ornaments, the sort found in church fairs and bazaars. These modest, homespun toys seemed to be the most appropriate medium for such a simple folk tale as the story of Chicken Little.

Then I discovered the apocryphal, but true, Secret Diaries of La Pulcina Piccola, and my nephew got Legos for his birthday.

La Pulcina's remarkable chronicle revealed our heroine's inner-most thoughts and feelings, recorded by scratching her accounts on bits and scraps of paper, leaves, bark and whatever else came to claw during her incredible adventures. The precious documents also revealed Italian to be the language of La Pulcina's heart. Thus, the Clothespin Repertory Theatre become Il Teatro Repertorio delle Mollette, and Chicken Little became La Pulcina Piccola.

It is from these sources and inspirations that LOVE'S FOWL was born. Il Teatro Repertorio delle Mollette soon dedicated itself to celebrating La Pulcina's remarkable life by reenacting the legendary "sky is falling incident" and highlights of her other adventures. When Maestro Henry Krieger offered his extraordinary musical talent in service of La Pulcina Piccola, her heart's language became song.

La Pulcina's fans are legion, and her adoration society, i Pulcinisti, led by president Gilbert Fouchard, grows daily, with members in far-flung points of the globe. La Pulcina's fans are so dedicated that a periodic newsletter, Clotheslines, barely keeps pace with their demand for news and excerpts from the diaries. For those who needed even more, we have recently introduced La Pulcina's signature line. Clearly, the story of Chicken Little is more than a folk tale, it is a window onto a world.

It is our great joy to bring to you the passion and adventure that is La Pulcina Piccola. She is an inspiration to us all.

Susan J. Vitucci