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Bedtime story for toddlers: the hedgehog's winter bed
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At the bottom of the garden, under the hedge, lived a little hedgehog.
All autumn, the hedgehog had been busy. Snuffling for beetles. Crunching through the leaves. Eating and eating, until his tummy was round.
But now the days were short. The nights were cold. And the little hedgehog was getting sleepy.
"It's time," he yawned, "to find my winter bed."
Not here
The hedgehog trundled along the hedge. Trundle, trundle.
He found a flowerpot, lying on its side.
He curled up inside. Brrr. It was hard and cold.
"Not here," said the hedgehog.
Trundle, trundle.
He found a puddle with ice on top.
He touched it with his nose. Brrr. Far too wet and far too cold.
"Not here," said the hedgehog.
Jonah sees
In the house, Jonah was looking out of the window with his grandad.
"Grandad," said Jonah, "look! A hedgehog! What is he doing?"
Grandad looked. "I think he is looking for somewhere to sleep for the winter," he said. "Hedgehogs sleep all winter long, until spring."
"All winter?" said Jonah. "Even at Christmas?"
"Even at Christmas," smiled Grandad. "Shall we help him?"
A warm bed
Jonah and Grandad put on their coats. They went out into the garden, very quietly, so they would not scare the hedgehog.
Grandad fetched an old wooden box and turned it on its side, under the hedge, in a quiet corner.
Jonah gathered dry leaves. Armfuls of crunchy brown and orange leaves. He filled the box until it was soft and deep.
Grandad put a few twigs on top, so the box looked like a little hill.
Then they tiptoed back inside and watched from the window.
Just right
The little hedgehog trundled along. Trundle, trundle.
He sniffed the box. Sniff, sniff.
He poked his nose into the leaves. Rustle, rustle.
He went inside. He turned around once. He turned around twice. He pulled the leaves over himself like a blanket.
And then he curled up into a tight, round, prickly ball.
"Just right," he sighed.
Sleep tight
That night, the snow began to fall. It fell on the hedge. It fell on the twigs. It covered the little box with a soft white blanket.
Inside, the hedgehog was warm and cosy, fast asleep.
And inside the house, Jonah was in bed too, warm and cosy under his own blanket.
"Goodnight, hedgehog," whispered Jonah. "See you in the spring."
And far away, under the leaves, the little hedgehog dreamed of beetles and sunshine.
Goodnight.
For grown-ups
Hedgehogs hibernate through the winter. If you have a garden, leaving a quiet corner with leaves and twigs can give them a safe place to sleep. Never give hedgehogs milk or bread; a shallow dish of water is the kindest thing to leave out.
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