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TITLE: Bristles'Countryside Adventure By Lynne Fickett 07/19/07 |
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Chapter 1
It’s Time for Adventure!
Bristles, the hedge hog is about as grumpy as a hedge hog can be. This might be because as a city dweller Bristles was constantly bothered by the noises of the area in which he lived—the most objectionable being the loud construction workers with their trucks, jack hammers, and cranes that dig too close to all the best real estate. After they are done working, a lot of the food has relocated to other areas.
Bristles family came from a long line of well-to-do hedge hogs who mistakenly immigrated to America when his great-grandparents and their family failed to take a right
turn at the entrance to the Port Authority in their native country of New Zealand. The family sailed off on a new adventure to America; making the best of their mistake they relocated to an area where the bugs mice, and birds were plentiful and the hedge hog family felt safe from animal attacks.
Three of his friends had been in harms way recently which worried him very much. One friend found himself on the wrong side of a hockey stick and paddled several times like a soccer ball when he rolled into a ball to protect his soft belly; another hedge hog by the name of Chomps was disturbed from a well-deserved nap by a klutzy runner with big feet, and had an encounter with a hungry cat in a nearby tree. It got very crowded in that tree when the two runners tried to climb the tree to escape a bear. It’s still unclear how a hedge hog that lives on the solid earth can end up in a tree. Last of all, they had a close friend who had a terrible run-in with a garbage truck at the local dump. The source of bugs was great—at least he was a happy hedge hog to the end. Bristles decided that, for his own safety, he was going to go and visit relatives outside the city in a distant town on the other side of the city where there’s still lots of open land and lots of bugs and mice. Bristles put on his new tie, grabbed his hat and his suitcase and set out for a great adventure.
Bristles set off for the bus stop which was about ten minutes away. Rather tired and a bit grumpy from the long walk on his tender feet, Bristles lay down under a bench where he was safe from getting poked by spiky high heels or stepped on by passersby. After a little while, the bus pulled up to the curb, it occurred to the little hedge hog that he forgot change for the bus in his other suit; instead of taking the long trip back home, he decided to try to sneak on board—it was a risk for sure, he might get stepped on, but his little tender feet caused him to make the sacrifice.
Bristles found a safe place to stow away under the front seat by the door, except it wasn’t easy to find out where he was. It was great when some kids got on the bus and thought it would be funny to call out the names of the stops like a conductor on a train. When the stop was called, Bristles got out of his hiding place and went to the door with his things in tow. The bus driver had a look of surprise on his face to see a spiky little hedge hog waiting to get off the bus like a regular passenger.
“How the heck….what are you doing on the bus you little critter?” said the driver.
The driver put the bus in park and got out of his seat. Trying not to scare the animal, he picked up the prickly animal carefully in his gloved hands and put Bristles on a patch of grass at the side of the road.
“Take care not to get into traffic little critter! Maybe you should get on another bus and go out to the countryside.”
Bristles was glad that he got friendly treatment from the driver, and accepted his kind idea about catching another bus to get out of the city. He traveled along the road for awhile until he came to a fork that separated the road into three roads—one road, the middle one, kept going straight ahead; the other two went in opposite directions, one to the left and the other one to the right. The city was behind him now and countryside was ahead of him, but he wasn’t sure of the way.
“Now what?” said Bristles, who was more than a little confused by this surprising sight. “Which way should I go now? Why didn’t I call Uncle Pokey, Auntie Nettles and Cousin Spike?” grumbled a now irritable little hedge hog.
As he was kicking himself for doing something so silly, Bristles saw a sight that caused him to fear and made him forget his tantrum; a wily old fox came toward him, and all hedge hogs know to stay away from foxes cuz they loves to eat hedge hogs for breakfast—any meal really!
Wily Fox was hunting for lunch and a tasty hedge hog was just as sweet as anything could be. He marched right up to Bristles and said, “Give me three reasons why I shouldn’t eat you for lunch!”
“Well, first of all I am a nice hedge hog as hedge hogs go.” said Bristles.
“That’s only one, what else, my tasty little lunchtime companion?”
“Why would you want to eat such a skinny hedge hog like me?” replied Bristles.
“That is not a problem, my little snack.” said Wily Fox.
Bristles paused for a minute; he could see Wily Fox licking his chops with a look of happiness on his face. He looked around for a place he could go when he made a run for it. “What to do?” thought Bristles. “There’s not too many places to make a clean getaway……Hello!....” Out of the corner of his eye he saw a hole in the ground;
Finally a twinkle in Bristle’s eyes appeared. He had one chance to answer and had to make the best of it. He just had to get a bit of distance between them so he had a better chance to get to that hole over there.
Bristles made his last plea to the crafty old fox. “You see, Mr. Fox, I come from a long line of New Zealand hedge hogs; a very healthy bunch are we. My great-grandparents traveled thousands of miles by boat to get to the shores of America, the beautiful, the home of the brave and the land free……”
All the while, during his speech, Bristles was pacing back and forth making sure that each time he started to walk that he was gaining more distance between them. The speech continued for a while longer and the hungry fox was starting to get impatient for his lunch. Wily Fox was so focused on his rumbling tummy that he was not realizing how much space was growing between them. Bristles was rather pleased with himself for coming up with this plan of escape; he wanted to laugh and almost smiled, but caught himself just in time before he gave himself away.
Wily Fox finally stopped him mid sentence, not sure why he was getting a hedge hog family history lesson, he interrupted the speech to ask a question of his own.
“Mr. Hedge Hog, what does this speech have to do with your final reason of why you should not become my lunch?
Bristles paused long enough to catch a quick glance at the hole; it looked big enough and deep enough to save his spiny little hide—he just hoped that it was empty or at least the occupant would be hospitable and at least offer him some tea and bugs for he was getting a bit hungry.
“Mr. Fox, I attended the Hedge Hog Memorial City High School, was a member of the track and field team all four years running, just like I am right now Mr. Fox. The fox was angry that he had been tricked by a scrawny little hedge hog. He began the chase, but the hedge hog had a big lead.
“Oh, by the way Mr. Fox, I was also on the debating team and on the hedge hog bowling team—now you see me, now you don’t.” With that final word from Bristles, he rolled up in a spiny little ball and rolled right into the hole!
Once in the hole, Bristles waited a few seconds until he was able to see. He turned around and was staring face-to-face with a mother rabbit with her seven babies. The mother rabbit was so surprised at the uninvited stranger that she dropped the baby that she was carrying on the ground.
“Who and what are you? said the mother rabbit.
Ma’am, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Bristles and I am a hedge hog.”
“I am a rabbit. All my friends call me Bunny and these are my seven children—I was carrying Fluff, that’s Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. My only boys are in the back of the hutch—there is Parsnip and that one is Kale.
“Where did you come from sir, and how did you find you way into my hutch?
“Well Ma’am, I was on my way to visit family in the countryside when a crafty fox tried to eat me for lunch. I managed to outfox him by rolling down this hole and into your hutch.”
Bristles poked his nose out of the hole to see if the fox had gone away. The fox saw him peeking out of the hole and growled in anger that his lunch had gotten away. He was so angry that he lay down close to the hole and watched for his lunch to appear again.
After they had been visiting for a while over a cup of herbal tea and some vegetables from the neighbor’s garden, Bunny remembered that the hole that they were in went underground for a long way. The hole at the other end was by the side of the road that led out to the countryside. Bristles said his goodbyes to the rabbit family and with suitcase in hand; he followed the underground tunnel to the other end and just as Bunny had told him, there was a road that continued on out to the countryside.
Chapter 2
Hooty Owl and the GreatWoods
Bristles put on his hat to protect his head from the hot sun and began walking again. A bus came by and nearly hit him, which caused him to begin to have another tantrum. He got on the bus with the ten cents Bunny gave him and settled down for the trip. When Bristles got off the bus, he began walking towards the Great Woods; in the distance the trees looked like a good place to stay for the night; he thought that he could make a bed good enough to sleep on and loads of tasty bugs and mice to make a good meal.
Finding a good spot under a giant oak tree, Bristles set down his suitcase and took off his hat. Before hunting for his dinner, he sat down to rest a while.
“I am so tired,” Bristles thought to himself. “Maybe if I just close my eyes for a while……”
Bristles was rather drowsy after his nap. He looked around him; it was almost dark and he hadn’t even made his bed or gotten anything to eat. He sighed, opened his suitcase, got out his flashlight and began walking along the path searching for the proper bedding for this choosy hedge hog. He found some nice leafy branches and piled them under the tree. He took his blanket and pillow out of his suitcase. He tested it for comfort and thought it would be fine.
The next matter at hand was to find some nice juicy bugs or a tasty mouse for supper. Bristles was so caught up with what was on the menu that he didn’t realize that one of the hedge hog’s arch-enemies, the owl, with his ability to see in the dark, was prepared to swoop down from his high tree branch on an unsuspecting mouse or even a mouth-watering hedge hog!
In one fell swoop Hooty Owl quietly descended from the perch of the tree above and snatched poor Bristles up by one of his spiky tufts of hairs on his back. If he hadn’t been so afraid of heights, Bristles would have been amazed as Hooty Owl, floated through the woods to his nest in a tree some distance away.
Bristles’ common sense returned to him as he understood that he was about to be the main course for this hungry owl’s dinner if he didn’t think of a plan—and fast. He twisted and jerked his body in every direction hoping to free himself from Hooty’s sharp claws; even with all of this movement he wasn’t able to get free from the owl’s strong grip.
Bristles said to Hooty, “Let go of me!—Why don’t you pick on someone your own size!” Bristles thought over his problem and knew that his manner of dealing with Wily Fox would not work with this smart old bird. Hooty just grunted his impatience at the silly statement made by this spiky little animal. “And why should I do that?” replied Hooty. “After all I am a bird of prey and you are my supper.”
“Well,” said Bristles looking over the view from above, “because you are already full, and even if you aren’t, there are plenty of mice down there for you—after all the night is young!”
“This is true enough, but I much prefer to have plenty of time to take in my meal earlier in the evening so that I can spend the rest of the time reading my books,” said the wise old owl. “Learning and reading are very important, which is something you have failed to learn, my little spiky little rodent; if you had we would not be having this little talk now.”
“Mr. Owl, if I may be so bold, for all your knowledge and learning, you don’t know anything about the reading and understanding of other animals—especially the ones you call your dinner. I have read many good books myself and learned lots from them; the learning that is even more a part of my make-up was gained by problems and strengths as well as from my studies; I have a diploma from the School of Hard Knocks and….”
At this moment, the owl and Bristles landed at the nest. The little hedge hog knew that he’d better start talking a good game or he was a goner. The wise old owl was surprised that there was something he didn’t know and a university that he hadn’t heard of. Anything about knowledge and learning sparked his interest and caused him to pause from the preparing of his supper and listen.
“What?” said Hooty, “I have never heard of this school of learning before; where is it and what did you study there?
They have schools all over the country, Mr. Owl, I’m surprised that you, of all people, haven’t heard of it.
I studied the Arte of the Debate, Track and field, Nutrition for Mammals, The Art and Crafts of Hide and Seek, and lastly, Kick Boxing!”
With that final statement, Bristles hauled off and punched Hooty right in the beak and kicked the owl with such power and force that he dropped Bristles in a giant pile of leaves on the ground below. Immediately, Bristles burrowed deeply under the pile of leaves and found a hole at the base of the tree that was covered over by leaves and other odds and ends from the ground. This was not exactly the kind of sleeping arrangements that he had planned on, but it was wise for him to stay where he was till dawn when the owl would go to sleep.
After a cool night without his blanket, Bristles was a little cold. When he returned to his bed, he curled up in a ball and got a warm-up nap. Bristles got up after a bit and found some wild raspberries and some bugs at the base of the tree and found a small puddle of clean water that helped him wash it all down. At this point he gathered up his things into his suitcase and hit the road.
Bristles wasn’t sure which way to go. There were a few well-worn paths to follow, but he didn’t have a clue which was the right way to the countryside. After a while of walking back-and-forth several times on different paths, he was so mixed up that he sat down under a tree and tried to scratch his head, but instead poked his hand kind of hard with one of his spines and yelped in pain.
In response to Bristles cry of pain, a voice called out to him saying, “Where are you going? Are you lost?”
“I am going to visit my family in the countryside and I guess I am kind of lost.” Bristles continued with his own questions saying “Where are you and why are hiding?”
“Because I’m afraid you’ll skewer me with one of your pointy spines and eat me for breakfast that’s why!”
“I promise I won’t eat you. My tummy is quite full of raspberries and tasty bugs.”
“Well, if you promise…okay.” From the tree over Bristles’ head, a little brown frog crept down, cautiously watching Bristle’s every move. “What are you?”
I am a hedge hog, what are you?”
“I am a tree frog. I sing full time here in the Great Woods—my friends and I help create team spirit and perform nightly concerts for all the animals here…Maybe you heard us last night.”
“I was kind of busy trying not to be Hooty Owl’s dinner.”
“I was wondering what all the noise was about. It delayed our concert for about half-an-hour. That owl was pretty mad—He had a big bandage on his nose and one on his big old belly. He was pretty mad that you outdid him in the knowledge department.” By the way, they call me Chirps.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Now that we have introduced ourselves could you come down from the tree, I am getting a pain in my neck from looking up as we talk.”
“Oh, sorry, Bristles,” said Chirps, “I sometimes forget when I talk to others how small I am and how hard it is to see me up in the tree. Chirps began descending from the tree.
Bristles heard a strange sound coming toward him. “What is that sound?” said Bristles. It sounds like a sucking noise.”
“You must be hearing my feet, it helps me to grip onto the bark so that I can walk up and down the tree.” said Chirps. “Can you see me now?”
Bristles told him that he could see him and then began asking him questions on how to get to the countryside.
“Have you been to the countryside before, Chirps?”
“Once or twice for a family retweet—it was kind of a get-together for the Tree Toads of America. It was lots of fun; we gave some nightly concerts and attended some classes on singing and learned some new songs to share with the others back home.” said Chirps. “Do you know exactly where your family lives?”
I thought so, but now I’m not so sure. After getting off course and running away from enemies that are trying to eat me, I could use some help.” said Bristles.
“I have made lots of friends here in the Great Woods,” said Chirps. “I know that if I ask them they would be very happy to help you find your way there. One of my best friends is Fearless Falcon. His owner lives just beyond the Great Woods. Sometimes he comes to visit and hear some of our concerts.”
“Shall I sing you one of the songs from last night’s concert? It’s a lovely one that we learned at the retweet last year.” said Chirps.
“That would be great.” Bristles replied.
“When dusk rushes in to the Great Woods,
My heart overflows with song;
A song to the Master, Creator,
Spirit, and Guide—the Three in One.
I was created by God to sing His praise,
To usher in the silvery glow of moonbeams fair
And receive the morning’s early light,
Then my work is done.
My song fades into the misty dawn,
But Your praises just continue on.
In the gentle cooing of a mourning dove,
And in the song of a sparrow calling out to his love.
For every small and creeping thing
Gives praises to the King of Kings.
With what we do and what we sing,
Both big and small, our gifts we bring.”
“Chirps, that’s a beautiful song and so is your voice.”
“Thank you Bristles, I’ve had lots of practice. Once I sang so loud that I strained my voice and couldn’t sing for a week—I sounded like a croaking bullfrog and was so embarrassed.”
“I know about embarrassment! My cousins Spike and Prickles and I found some good eats in a landfill once. We were so excited because we were getting ready for our winters’ sleep so we were eating up a storm—peanut butter covered with strawberry jam, leftover cat food, the good kind, chicken, and tons of bugs! We found three small bottles that said on the outside Rit, and being curious, we each opened one of the bottles to see what was inside. The pile we were standing on moved off-center; we lost our balance and this thick, gooey liquid poured all over us. It was some kind of colored dye in the worst colors ever for hedge hogs that care how they look for the girls, you know—neon green, bright orange and the brightest shade of purple ever! We got some of each color on us which made it even worse. Our friends teased us with everything they could think of like ‘they could just dye laughing.’ and anything that came to mind having to do with color.
“Well,” said Chirps, “that really tops my story. I don’t feel nearly as embarrassed now!”
“Thanks Chirps, I’ll remember in the future to keep my stories under wraps.”
“I’m sorry for teasing you.” said Chirps. “I guess we need to talk to Fearless and help you find your family. I’ll call him, it may take a little while for him to get here; he may be working.
Chirps called to her friend and waited for a reply. While they waited to hear from Fearless, they chatted; Bristles told Chirps about the fate of his friends in the city and the adventures so far on the way to the countryside. After they talked for some time, they heard the sound of a bird calling out and a fluttering movement among the branches and the shaking of leaves. A gray bird that looked like a hawk appeared in the crotch of nearest branch of the tree where they were having their pleasant chat.
“Hello, Chirps,” said the bird. He cocked his head a little to one side and looked curiously at Bristles, who was just as curious about the bird that just landed in the tree near them.
“Fearless, it’s nice to see you, it has been a while since we’ve seen you at one of our concerts and you have been missed.”
“I have missed your concerts, our talks, and the Great Woods. I just returned from a contest of skill and sport with my trainer. I was showing training skills to people learning the sport. It went well, but I am happy to be home and to have some free time—a flight of fancy in the Great Woods and to hear a concert from my friends.”
“Great,” said Chirps, it will be nice to give a concert to an audience that has come just to listen for the joy of the music. Oh, let me introduce you to my new friend, Bristles. He needs some help from us to find his way to the countryside and find his family.”
“Hello, I am Fearless, but I’m sure you know that already. I am guessing that you are a hedge hog from the look of your spiny back and furry underbelly. How can help you, Bristles?”
“I made a mistake when I thought I’d remember my way to their house from my place in the city, and I was too far from home when I remembered that I forgot the address and the phone number so I just kept going. I got off course even more when I met up with Wily Fox just outside the city limits and then Hooty Owl in the Great Woods. Chirps thought maybe you could lead me to the countryside from here since you are at ease both in the forest and out in the country.”
“You know, Bristles, I think I may know where they live, but I need to do a flyby over the area and look down and see if I see them; it’s a bit harder to see a hedge hog because the come out mostly at night, but I’ll do my best starting tomorrow, but until then we have a concert to enjoy tonight.”
Bristles and Fearless enjoyed the concert a great deal and Chirps requested Fearless’ favorite song, “The Peaceful Woodland,” which made Fearless very happy. In the early hours of morning Bristles and Fearless drifted into a restful sleep beneath a tree; after the events of last night, Bristles cuddled up with his blanket with leaves piled high for added protection against Hooty Owl making another try at a hedge hog meal.
Chapter 3
On to the Countryside
In the morning light Bristles and Fearless stretched their legs—and wings for the day ahead. Chirps came by for a chat before he went to sleep. Bristles and Fearless made plans on where to meet and what direction to go to find the edge of the Great Woods. Chirps went off to sleep for a while before they would start their walk to the edge of the Great Woods. Bristles made good use of his time by picking raspberries and other foods for both of them to eat on their trip.
They set out on their trip after Chirps had some sleep and some food. Bristles found a big handkerchief in his suitcase and made a mini hammock for Chirps resting against his soft belly fur; it was both a comfortable way to travel and it made it easy for Chirps to see where they were going and not get stepped on.
At times Bristles thought it might be a little too comfortable because Chirps was falling asleep and a few times Bristles had to poke him with his finger to wake him when he came to a fork in the path or had some other question about the direction they were headed.
“Hey Chirps, you awake? I think you might be a little too cozy in there. I might have to make it a bit less comfortable, say maybe between my back spines or on op of my hat.”
“Yes Bristles, I’m awake. I think the travel seating is just fine. I am rested now and my full attention is on the path. Maybe I should sing for a while and it will make the time more enjoyable.”
“That’s a good idea, Chirps, it will lighten my steps.”
“Some take the road that
Is easily walked
With very little to make them stumble;
But there are some
Who choose to walk on the path
Of the meek and humble.
The path is pitted with trials
And things that can make us feel so sad,
Our Jesus, master of it all
Will help us and hear our call.
Watch and pray, giving thanks each day
For the things that He has done.
Give praises from a thankful heart
For things that He will do.
The path less traveled can be
To climb a mountain so high,
Or walk a deep valley where it’s hard
To see His Light.
Remember child, He holds your hand
Wherever you go, whatever you do.
On oceans deep or on dry land,
His love forever, tried and true.”
“Chirps, that’s wonderful! I love to hear you sing, it makes me feel happy.” said Bristles.
“I’m glad,” said Chirps, “you should hear it when the chorus sings it at one of our concerts, it’s even better.”
“That’s hard to believe, but I guess I have to take your word on that. How much farther do you think we have to go Chirps?”
“Well, maybe an hour, but that’s just a guess.”
“Another whole hour! Chirps, that seems like forever to these poor little hedge hog feet. Can we sit down for awhile, I’m getting hungry.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” said Chirps, “pretty soon the trees will be thinning out and we will be able to see Fearless flying overhead.”
It will be good to hear from Fearless what he knows about my family. It will be good to have someone else to add to the talk.”
“Thanks,” said Chirps.
“That’s not what I mean,” said Bristles, “the more the merrier—someone else’s words that add to the chit-chat and make it even better.”
“Oh. I get it now,” said Chirps. “I’m not sure you know what you’re getting into. You might not understand yet, but when Fearless gets talking he can talk your ear off!”
“I’ve never had my ear talked off—does it hurt?”
“Very funny,” said Chirps. Just wait until he gets going then you’ll know what I mean. He knows a lot and can talk about anything for a long time until you have to beg him to stop.”
“Oh, I will try to remember to keep it in mind when I’m talking to him.”
As they continued along, Chirps kept singing and Bristles gathered food for the three of them in his other handkerchief for their next snack time. It wasn’t very long before they could see a bit of the sky peeking through the trees. Bristles was very happy because he knew that they were closer to the edge of the Great Woods. His poor tender little hedge hog feet were starting to feel sore and tired. Suddenly, they heard a fluttering of wings that moved the leaves on the trees; Chirps and Bristles looked up to see what was making the noise and landing on a branch over their head was Fearless.
“Hi, I’m sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to you. I checked in at home and had to show off my skills to a man who was interested in learning about the training, care, and competitions for falcons. After I finished that, I was able to do a flyby over the countryside to see if I could find them.”
“Do you think that you know where they live?” asked Chirps.
“I think I can see their house, but it’s hard to tell when they come out most of the time only at night.” said Fearless.
“Well,” said Bristles, “that’s good news.”
“Bristles, do you need to rest or are you ready to keep on going?” asked Fearless.
“I can keep going for a while.” said Bristles.
“That’s good to hear, I have been feeling so bubbly inside, I just want to dance—join me now, one and two, three and four, one and two, three and four. Come on, don’t be shy!”
Chirps and Bristles looked at him and then looked at each other. They looked at him again, shrugged their shoulders and started to dance behind him down the path toward the edge of the Great Woods. When they had gotten tired of dancing, they slowed their pace and chatted as they walked. More and more blue sky appeared. The late afternoon sun streamed through the trees and warmed them as they walked along. The path began to get wider and they started to see grass on either side of them. At last they saw end of the trees and as far as you could see, there was field of tall grass and wildflowers in all different colors. It was beautiful.
Bristles, Chirps, and Fearless decided to sit under a big leafy tree and have a snack. Bristles untied the handkerchief full of treats and set the opened cloth on the stump of the tree. Bristles had collected foods that all three of them liked. They sat down around the stump and began eating. They rested and chatted together for quite some time, unaware of the danger that was out there at the edge of the Great Woods.
There was a great noise overhead like something heavy was beating against the limbs of the tree, making leaves fall from the tree. Tumbling out of the tree four clumsy black birds fell to the ground with a great thud.
“Ha-ha-ha-hee-hee-ho-ho!” said the largest of the three birds.
And who and what might you be, eh?”
“You know right well, Cackles! They’s a hedge hog, a cute little toadie from the trees, the ones that make all that noise at night, and that’s a falcon. All will make tasty dinner food I’d say.” said Joker.
“What are these birds, Fearless?”
“They’re just a bunch of silly magpies.” said Fearless.
“Har-dee-har-har” said the second bird, “magpies is we are—silly you say, but I’d say a good sense of humor is what we have.”
“Yeah, Hardy, weez full of humor, lots and lots.” said Chuckles, the youngest and quietest of the four.
Fearless knew many kinds of birds and knew all about magpies; not only were they big and clumsy, they were very greedy and argued with each other. Fearless didn’t say anything and just listened to their talk and whispered to the others.
“When I make a loud call, I will grab you by your spines. When we are off the ground, grab onto my leather straps around my feet.”
“How will we fix them this time?” Chuckles asked.
“I say we roast em over an open flame for that crispiness we like so well.” Said Cackles.
“Ho-ho-ho. Mm, that sounds great.” Joker replied.
“Har-dee-har-har! Maybe add some of that special seasoning too.” said Hardy.
“There be only one think left to say then, since I am the leader of this group, I get first crack at the supper!”
“Hey, that’s not fair, you had it first last time!” said Har-dee.
“You told me that I could be first this time!” said Chuckles.
“Well, I lied then, didn’t I, my little skinny brother!”
“I should beat you up for lying to me that way!” said Chuckles.
“Ha-ha-hee-hee-ho-ho,” said Cackles, “you beat me up—in your dreams. You don’t even have the guts to beat me up!”
“Maybe not Cackles, but I do!” said Joker, “I dare you to step over this line right here!”
“Yeah,” said Har-dee, “you need to learn a lesson, brother, and this is just as good a time as any….”
With that said, Fearless let out the loudest call they had ever heard. As he had told Bristles beforehand, Fearless grabbed his spines on the back of his neck and up, up they flew over the grassy field. Bristles grabbed onto the straps around Fearless’ legs and curled up in a ball.
Chirps was amazed and told Bristles to look around and look at the view.
“Bristles, uncurl yourself and look around and see.”
“Chirps, I’m afraid of heights, remember?” With all of Chirps’ oohs and ahs, Bristles cracked his eyes open and looked down over the field.
Chirps continued, “The most I have seen of the word is what I can see from my treehouse, and there is so much more to see! You never told me what the world looks like when you are flying, it’s so beautiful!”
“You never asked and I never thought about telling you.” said Fearless.
Bristles was wide-eyed as he looked around. He was glad Chirps had gotten him to open his eyes. He might not see the world this way again—ever! The most he could do was to stare at the ground with his mouth wide open. A short distance away, Bristles saw a mound of sticks and branches piled high next to an overgrown bunch of bushes.
“Is that where my family lives?” said Bristles.
“Yes.” said Fearless.
It wasn’t long before they hit the ground with a thud. Bristles was dazed when they hit the ground and was seeing stars. As his mind cleared he called out to them.
“Hello…Uncle Pokey, Auntie Nettles, Spike?....”
One by one—eyes and little noses were peering at him through the branches. A very slow deep voice camea from within the pile of branches and sticks
“Bristles, is that you?”
“Yes, Uncle Pokey, it’s me, Bristles. I thought I would come and surprise you with a visit.”
The whole family began streaming out of the nest. Uncle Pokey began to speak a formal welcome on behalf of the family. Uncle Pokey is just as his name suggests; he’s as slow as molasses in winter and nothing much will hurry him along except maybe Auntie Nettles. After a period of a very long-winded welcome, Auntie Nettles interrupted Pokey without apology. She knows after the many years they have been together how to manage her home—and Uncle Pokey!
Auntie Nettles is true to her name. Over the years she has become a nag especially in dealing with Uncle Pokey doing some work around the nest.
“Bristles, it’s very nice to see you, but I wish you had called first. We could have set up the tent for you, your friends, Spike and the grandkids.” said Auntie Nettles.
“I’m sorry for coming without calling first,” said Bristles, “but I just had to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a while. I forgot your address and phone number and when I remembered that I didn’t have it, I was too far away to go back. I had some problems that took me off course and my new friends helped me find your home.”
Cousin Spike is a real piece of work! He finds trouble wherever he goes and before long is stuck in whatever it is; when he isn’t looking for trouble it will find him wherever he is. Bristles has been his companion on many occasions and the trouble just happens. During Uncle Pokey and Auntie Nettles’ welcome, Spike is jumping up and down with excitement at seeing his cousin Bristles.
“Hey dude, you shoulda called and let me know you were comin’. I’d’ve planned lots of things to do and places to see. Lots of things have changed since you were here last time. How long are you staying?”
“What’s this hey dude stuff anyway? You sound like you are from the city, man, but man, I thought this was the country.”
“Funny, but I was a city dude for a long time, man.”
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be staying, Spike. That may all be up to Auntie Nettles. If we say out of trouble, I’ll be here longer. (I don’t like to hear her nagging when she’s upset). If I lend a hand in picking up my things and helping her with the grandkids, maybe I’ll stay on her good side.”
“Yeah,” said Spike, “she’ll like that a lot, Bristles. When my sister Barbie and her husband, Pierce moved in with the kids, things got real crazy, man. Hey, Ma, we’ll get started on putting up the tent.”
“Thank you, Spike. Why don’t take the kids and let them help you while Barbie and I make dinner.”
Cousin Barbie and her husband, Pierce had to move back home after their home became the parking lot for a shopping mall. It was too dangerous especially for the kids, Thorny, Aquilla, Prickles, and Barboson. The move to the country was good for them, but they hardly had any room to get around without stabbing someone in multiple places. Pierce and Uncle Pokey were supposed to put an addition on the house; Uncle Pokey gets upset when he gets poked and prodded to do things that he dislikes so the addition has been on hold until it becomes a big problem for everyone.
Spike, Bristles, and friends began to get the big tent out and setting it up; they had so many people to help that it took no time at all to finish; even the kids were able to help and there were not any wounded hedge hogs to be found.
“Come and get it,” yelled Barbie, “you snooze, you lose.”
All of a sudden a giant pack of hedge hogs just like a huge pin cushion rushed mother and daughter hedge hog, beginning with the kids first, followed by the adults; the sight made them want to run for cover so that they wouldn’t become tomorrow’s meal on a stick! Barbie and Auntie Nettles made a feast that everyone would enjoy—berries, mice, bugs and leftovers that cooked up just great with the right amount of seasonings thrown in. They enjoyed the conversation around the table and were amazed at the adventure that Bristles had on the way to their countryside home, and to hear how Bristles met his friends and that they were able to direct him to the family.
The kids were out playing in the yard as soon as possible after dinner. Chirps and Fearless flew off to the edge of the woods to find Chirps’ family to give their nightly concert, and then Fearless went to his home for the night. The adult hedge hogs went outside to listen to the concert while the kids played under a moonlit sky.
“Look Mama, the moon looks like a man’s face made of Swiss cheese!”
“I see it, Prickles,” said Barbie, “can you hear what he’s saying? Do you think he’s hungry?”
No, Mama, that’s silly, he’s full of cheese!” said Prickles.
“What is he saying to you, can you tell from here what he is saying?”
“Well,” said Prickles, as he scrunched up his nose in thought, “I think that he’s saying that he is full of cheese and thanks you for asking if he was hungry. He wants to know if he is bright enough tonight and can we can see alright. He’s too far away to hear the concert, but hopes we like it.”
“What a very thoughtful man in the moon!” said Barbie. “Let’s listen to Chirps and the others sing to us.
The family listened to the tree toad concert late into the evening. The kids fell asleep on the grass wrapped up in their blankets. Barbie and Pierce picked up the kids and put them in the tent still sound asleep. Spike and Bristles sat up and talked late after everyone else went to bed and were still asleep well after the day had begun. The kids were bouncing off the walls of the tent trying to get them up to play; they tried every prank they could think of to get them up from tickling feet to jabbing spines, which was the final plan that got them up for the day.
A New Adventure—
From a Prayer to a Palace
In the early afternoon, Fearless and Chirps returned. They relaxed, chatted, and told Chirps how much they enjoyed the concert the night before. After a snack, Bristles spoke of a project that he had in mind that would help everyone and occupy the kids and give free time to Auntie and Barbie. His suggestion was to gather materials for an addition to the house and build it to Auntie Nettles’ needs for happy living.
Everyone agreed to the project and all able-bodied hedge hogs, including Uncle Pokey, to the surprise of Auntie Nettles and to the whole family, really. Chirps and Fearless got into the act too and gathered dry grasses and twigs. They flew and searched the ground for materials to build with and brought them to the drop-off site. For the evening concert, Fearless brought Chirps back to the woods and he returned home for the night.
The next morning, the family began to separate the building materials to see what they had and what they needed before they could start. Fearless was working at a contest so Chirps stayed in the woodland and visited with his family. Bristles and Spike went looking in the field for rocks for the boundary of the addition. They were going to make it large so that there was plenty of room for everyone. If something was too heavy for them they got the others to come and help get it back to the house. After a long rest and a meal, they went out to find more leafy branches for privacy and light control.
When they had enough leafy branches to start with Auntie, Barbie, and the kids began to weave the branches to make the walls. When the kids went off to play, Barbie and her mother had plenty of time to talk about motherhood and being parents. The mother-daughter chat was good for them and drew them closer together.
The time passes so quickly when spent working together on a big project like this one. Bristles remarked that it was like going on a scavenger hunt. Everyone laughed at the remark and agreed that it felt that way to them too. They went out for one more look for things for the house until the sun got low in the sky. They all helped Auntie Nettles to get dinner made and cleaned up and then they sat outside to listen to the tree toad concert. The moon tried to clean the cheese out of his ears so maybe he could hear the
concert too, but sadly, he was too far away to hear anything at all.
The next day everyone got up early and began to work on building the addition to the house. The ladies and the girls, Thorny and Aquilla, sat and continued to weave the walls. The guys and Uncle Pokey started to work on the sizing of the house from the plans they drew several days before. They ladies and the girls talked quietly amongst themselves, but the guys were making a lot of noise, yelling directions to each other as they worked on different parts of the house; in part, the yelling was for the benefit of show to the ladies—it’s just a guy thing that is seem in both animals and in humans too.
“No, No Uncle Pokey, not there. Pick that up, it goes next to that stone over there.” said Pierce.
“Well-ah, why didn’t you tell me that before I laid it down there, eh? It takes a lot of energy to heave these rocks around you know. I’m not a young hedge hog, neither. I’m going to set and rest, I’ll leave heaving rocks to you youngsters!” replied Uncle Pokey.
“Uncle Pokey, don’t get all huffy, I wasn’t needling or nagging you!” said Pierce.
“Oh, no,” said Uncle Pokey,” you folks just go ahead, I’m going to rest awhile.”
Uncle Pokey waddled over in the direction where the ladies were weaving. Everyone heard loud laughter from the spot where the ladies were sitting. Auntie Nettles saw here husband waddling in there direction and before he had the chance to plop down, she raised up her voice in her usual fashion, and to her lazybones husband spoke.
“Why aren’t you working, lazybones? Is it fair to leave everyone working, while you sit here and rest?
“But I’m tired, woman! I don’t see you out there pickin’ up stones and movin’um around the house!”
Not wanting to push him too far over the edge, but unwilling to give in to his tantrum, Auntie Nettles motioned him to come and sit down.
“Well if you are going to sit down, you at least are going to continue to work by weaving! Grab yourself some branches and get to work!”
“Yes, mother.” muttered Uncle Pokey under his breath.
In a while Uncle Pokey began to get out of his bad mood and enjoy the work and the conversation. He even helped out by getting branches for the others and even searched for some little pieces to fill in some empty spots in the walls.
The next day, Fearless returned with Chirps after being away for a few days. They were surprised how much work was done and were glad to get busy and help in whatever needed to be done. Chirps made up for his size and ability in encouragement and in song; it made their hearts lighter and the project more enjoyable. Having very good night vision, Fearless and Chirps looked for bare spots in the dim light inside the house, which made Chirps feel that he had something to give toward the work being done.
After dinner, Chirps went to the edge of the woods to sing. Before they left, Chirps and Fearless flew up very high in the sky in hopes that Mr. Moon might be able to hear him sing a song or two. After clearing the cheese out of his ears a few days before, he was able to hear a bit of the song that Chirps sang. It was very soft, but he was able to hear it for the first time and thanked them for their thoughtfulness.
Chapter 5
A Fond Farewell to Friends
After many days the project was finished. Auntie Nettles face just beamed with as much happiness as a nagging mother hedge hog can; she was in the house with Barbie planning out where the furniture would be and what they needed to build for their comfort. In the time that Bristles had been at the countryside home, he was happier than he had ever remembered being in the city.
“Auntie Nettles,” said Bristles, “would you mind very much if I were to stay here in the countryside with you and the family? Until I came here, I thought that I was happy on my own in the city, but after being with you, I see that I am happiest right here with my family and my new friends.”
“Well, Bristles, I was wondering how long it would take you to see that and get around to asking to stay. You are the reason that the house has the addition and have been so helpful to us. We would all love to have you stay on with us and live here.”
It was at last time for Chirps and Fearless to return to their own lives in the Great Woods. Bristles was sad to see them go, but he knew that they had to be about their own business and that meant that they had to be in a different place. Fearless and Chirps promised that they would visit from time to time and see everyone. With a fond farewell they flew off in the direction of the Great Woods and to their lives and their own families.
True to their word, Fearless and Chirps visited their hedge hog friends as often as they could. There was much to say and lots of laughter for all as they sat around the dinner table and enjoyed each other’s company; as with good close friends both animal and human alike, good friends fill our lives with fun, joy, happiness, and most of all love.
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