Harry the Spineless Hedgehog

There once was a Hedgehog named Harry. Harry lived under a bridge beside a small flowing stream in the countryside. He didn't like to leave very often during the day as he was a bit different. You see, Harry was missing his spines. Yes, he was the only hedgehog who did not have any. Other animals thought he was strange looking and so Harry liked to explore at night time only as he would be out looking for food and didn't have to see many other creatures. When the sun would set, Harry woke up stretching and yawning and stumbled into the wall whilst he trying to shake off the sleep.

One night as the sun went down, a big moon came out and Harry set off along a path to search for food. The moonlight was welcome to him as it made it easier to find bugs. He was passing a nearby wood and decided to go inside and have a look. He had never been in this wood before as he was a creature of habit and didn't like to break his routine to do something different. This night however, he was feeling adventurous. It was very still in the wood and no creature was stirring. Trees were large and coniferous. Rays of moonlight split the trees and shone down beautifully, resting on the Pine needles which littered the ground. The cool night breeze which swept through the trees smelled of damp moss.

Harry walked quite far looking around when he heard a noise from behind, what seemed to be a wall up ahead. It was a mud wall. As he reached it he discovered he could not see over. He looked around and saw  some sticks protruding from the earth on the wall. He grabbed onto the nearest one with his mouth and pulled himself up clambering with his little feet. Then he let go and quickly grabbed the next. He pulled himself up until he reached a final stick. He grabbed it with his mouth and pulled but just then he slipped. The stick bent over with the extra strong pull and suddenly sprung back up throwing poor Harry into the air. He landed on top of the wall and after a moment, sat up and shook his head.

When he came to his senses, he realised he was at the top. In front of him, he saw something amazing. He could not believe his eyes. A herd of white cows lay between the walls. They surrounded a small lake which reflected the moon and they seemed to all gaze in wonder at the beauty of this glistening bright water. The area was a flush with trees and shrubs and it was very peaceful.
The cows wore bells around their necks and seemed to be whispering to each other in soft moos. Henry noticed that like him, they too, were imperfect and vulnerable. One was missing a tail, another missing an eye. Some more walked with a limp and there were some oddly short legged ones too.

Harry felt this to be a place of great beauty. The cows looked happy and seemed content in their surroundings. Suddenly, something in the trees above caught Harry's eye. It was an owl. It looked forward as Harry did and seemed to smile at what he saw. He looked down to Harry for a moment and hoot once, greeting him. He did not judge Harry for being different. He welcomed him. Harry noticed then that the walls of this beautiful place were surrounded by other animals looking at these cows. Their soft moos and clanging of the bells seemed to draw these animals attentions and make these creatures happy.

The rays of moonlight seemed to focus on this area and it looked magical. Harry realised that he was not only different but he was special. If these cows were not perfect and yet not judged by other animals for being different then he should not be scared to be different either. From then on, Harry decided to come out more during the day. The other creatures got used to seeing him and they accepted him as Harry and not the hedgehog without spines. Harry often visits this special wood on moonlit nights and stares at these happy beautiful creatures. For beauty is not how someone may look. It is how they feel and Harry felt very happy.

Susie The Cold Crow

Once upon a time there was a Crow named Susie. Susie lived in a big Oak tree in the middle of a field in the countryside. She was a busy little crow, always doing chores, cleaning out her nest and picking up sticks to keep it in shape and looking it's best. The only thing was that Susie was always cold. No amount of work could warm her up and it was early winter.
One day as Susie was flying along on her way to get some sticks, something on the road caught her eye. It was an old woman cycling a bike. On the front of the bike was a basket with lots of different coloured balls of wool in it. Susie went on about her business until she came to a house with lots of trees in the garden, which was just perfect for picking up sticks. She was hopping around beneath the trees in the cold winter air trying to hurry so she could get home before it started to freeze, when who should come cycling through the gate but the old woman. She went inside with the balls of wool and Susie flew up onto the window sill. There, through the window, she saw the old woman sit down on a chair beside a cosy warm fire. She began to knit with her wool and Susie watched as she knitted something which was beginning to appear as a scarf. 

Realising it was getting late and beginning to get colder, Susie then decided it was a good idea to fly home. As she spread out her wings and jumped into the air flapping, a sudden gust of wind came and blew her back into the window. The old woman looked up. "Oh dear," she said. "What on earth is happening out there?". She got up and walked towards the window. When she got there, she found poor Susie cold and in shock from the bang. "You poor poor thing" she said as she took her in from the window sill. She brought her over to the fire and put her beside it in a warm basket lined with sheep's wool. "Now dear, you rest here and warm yourself by the fire until you are feeling better."
That night Susie stayed by the fire and was very warm. She almost felt glad that she had to be taken in to rest by the fire. Relaxed and warm, she watched as the old woman continued to knit her scarf.
When morning came, Susie was feeling much better and hopping around the sitting room. Once the old woman noticed this, she picked her up and walked to the door to release her. The chill in the air blew at them both when she opened the door and Susie began to shiver in the old woman’s hands. Noticing this change in Susie, the old woman said "You are cold, poor thing I cannot send you out in that weather after having you beside the fire all night. I have an Idea". She brought Susie back beside the fire and she too, sat down. Picking up a ball of blue wool and her knitting needles, she began to knit. 

Susie again watched, while she worked the wool along the needles as the fire continued to cause a warm orange glow on the old woman’s face. She smiled as she knitted. Looking up for a moment towards the window she said "Oh it is beginning to snow." Susie looked towards the window, and sure enough, snowflakes were falling. She didn’t like the thought of going back outside into the cold.
After a couple of hours, the snow had completely covered the ground outside. The old woman put down her needles and wool and said "Oh Lovely." She held up the snuggest most comfortable little blue jumper. She brought it over and put it on Susie. "It's a perfect fit" she said, picking Susie up. Then she brought her to the door to again release her. When the old woman opened the door, although the ground was covered in snow and the air was cold, Susie felt warmer than ever. As she spread her wings and flew back into the sky, she said "Thank you" but to an old woman, this was just the sound of a Crow "caw caw."
When Susie got back to her nest, she was so warm and cosy. She no longer felt the cold. To this day high up in that Oak tree in the middle of a field, in the countryside, in Susie's old nest, you can still see a little blue jumper, that a kind old woman knitted for a cold little Crow long long ago.

By Paul Broughall.

The Old Leather Shoe

                                   

                                An old leather shoe was thrown away.

                                No longer needed at the start of the day.

                               

                                It was thrown into a ditch at the side of the road

                                and who came to live in it? but a big fat Toad.

                                "I like this shoe, it can be my new house

                                But wait no, this shoe isn't big enough for a mouse!"

                              
                       

                               Off hopped the Toad away from the shoe
                               and in climbed a mouse, a very small Shrew.
                               "This house is small and just the right size for me
                               But wait it has no windows, I cannot see!"

                               So away ran the Shrew and in slid a Snail
                               "I could not live here, there is no box for my mail!"

   

                                And off went the Snail and in fell an egg
                                It had fallen from the nest of a Robin named Peg.
                              

                               Into the shoe the little Robin flew
                               "I like this shoe, yes I really really do!"
                             

                                 So Peg lived in the shoe and a small chick she hatched
                                 and they never left for they became quite attatched.

Teddy Bear's Window

The rain came knocking on Teddy Bear's window
"Can i come in?" asked the rain. But Teddy says "no!"

The snow came knocking on Teddy Bear's window
"Can i come in?" asked the snow. But Teddy says "no!"

The wind came knocking on Teddy Bear's window
"Can i come in?" asked the wind. But Teddy says "no!"

The sun came knocking on Teddy Bear's window.
"Can i come in?" asked the sun. "Yes" said Teddy, "and please dont go!"

Home is where the heart is.

He walked out the door with no returning glance.
That old decrepit ruin didn't stand a chance.
Many years had passed him by and most seemed so dreary.
Many seemed locked away, a bad choice made, in theory.
But when the first night came to sleep in his bed fluffy as a cloud,
all he wanted to do was say this piece aloud.........
"I miss you old decrepit house you once had so much life
and kept us safe and warm and dry through many years of strife"
he wanted to be somewhere else, somewhere he called home,
and all that night to the old house his little mind did roam.
He walked out the door with no returning glance.
That old decrepit ruin was worth a second chance!



.

The Scarecrow and The Moon

There was once a scarecrow who loved the moon
waiting all day, he hoped night would fall soon


Across the wide lake, the moon rose high
and the little old scarecrow looked to the sky.


"So beautiful are you, big circle of light
each month I look up and wait for night."


"The glow of your heart, turns darkness to day
to see this each night, anything I would pay."


"You rise up high, something I cannot do
and looking at this, I feel I will one day too."

The Forgotten Swing

I remember a time, when I was needed, when I was repaired, a time when I provided a use for someone to get from one place to another. I was used daily and never lonely. You see my main job was to be a tyre. It was to spin around and protect the wheel from the harsh road. Some days my owner Ted, would take the bike for long cycles up to the mountains. It was great but of course I didn’t know just how lucky I was at the time to have a purpose. I was unaware that someday it would all end. I’d be traded for a car and end up in a shed. Yes, it was then I realised what it was to be useful.
One day I found myself useful again. I wasn’t aware of how or for what at the beginning but I knew Will and Sarah, Ted’s children, had a use for me that faithful June day when I heard them talking about how the swing they were about to make would keep them occupied all Summer. ‘I’m having the first turn on the swing Sarah.’ Said Will, in a firm manner. ‘No!’ snapped a fuming Sarah. ‘Not if I hop on it first.’ I was removed from the old wheel and brought to a big wooded area which I heard them referring to as ‘the garden.’ Trees were big and old and there were birds nesting above. A rope was threaded through me and I was then skilfully tied to a high branch from which I swung. A flat piece of board was slotted in so they could sit comfortably. Will was first to swing after much argument. Sarah pushed him while he laughed with excitement and said ‘higher Sarah, higher.’ before crying ‘stop Sarah stop! That’s too high I want to get down now.’ Sarah agreed that this was a good idea and in her attempt at helping Will down from me, was more dragging him off so she wouldn’t have to wait another moment. She hopped on later than anticipated and Will pushed. Sarah enjoyed swinging high much more and although was a year younger than Will was much braver. It was quite fun to be a swing. Unlike being part of a wheel, I got to soar high up in the air and see all around. It was lots of fun.
I didn’t see them again until some weeks later. It was Sarah’s birthday. ‘Who wants to push the baby on the swing?’ shouted Will. ‘I’m not a baby Will, I’m 9!’ Sarah said rolling her eyes. Her friends giggled at the sibling teasing and one stepped forward to push Sarah. That day they spent hours playing in ‘the garden.’ They played there all summer infact and were smiling throughout until the last day they came to play that summer. ‘I hate school. Why can’t it be summer all year round and school didn’t exist?’ asked a sorrowful Sarah. ‘I know Sarah but its life I guess.’ replied a level headed Will. After that day I didn’t see Sarah and Will together much anymore. Often they would come alone to just sit and swing and reflect upon a hard day in school or to cool off after an argument. My use became less and less apparent as time continued to pass. The children were getting older and as time went on I would watch them grow as they occasionally made an appearance alone similarly taking some time to reflect as they always did. I now watched from a height. Heavy storms throughout the years had caused me to wrap around the branch I was tied to and Ivy had grown over me, somewhat hiding me from existence. But I exist still.
 One day after a long time of not seeing anybody, I saw a young man coming through the garden gate. He was upset and a young woman followed after him. ‘Will are you ok?’ she asked. ‘No Sarah, why did Gran have to die?’ I hardly recognised either of them. Will and Sarah, no longer young children. They had grown so much. ‘It’s just part of life I guess.’ replied Sarah also in tears. ‘Do you remember when we were young and she’d be in bed for weeks with her “nerves” and then there would be a knock on the door one day and it was her in a trench coat and hat in the lashing rain pretending to be a strange man?’ asked Sarah. ‘I do.’ replied Will smiling and choking back the tears. ‘She always had such a good sense of humour. If only people didn’t have to age.’ said Sarah. They talked some more about their grandmother before leaving again.
 Another day an older man came out to 'the garden.' It was a hot day during summer and he seemed to be enjoying the shade of the many old trees above. It occurred to me that this was a man I had seen before. He looked different but then I realised it was Ted. It was great to see him. He looked much older and greyer than before and not as fit as when he cycled with me but it was still the same old Ted I’m sure. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and lay down on some dry moss, resting his head on a tree. ‘Oh what a glorious day!’ he exclaimed to himself. He may have looked different but it was still the man who cared for me once, who had a use for me and fixed me when I needed repair. He lay there unaware of my presence high above. Unaware of how his children had taken me from his old bike and used me for a swing and came to me when they needed some time alone. He awakened from an impromptu nap some time later and left.
It was a long time before I saw anybody again. ‘The garden’ was virtually deserted. Weathers came and went, seasons changed and as time continued to pass, I became less visible. I was now part of the tree and a little pigeon had weaved a nest between me and the Ivy. I was useful once again. This time not to a man or a child but to a bird who was preparing to hatch. I was providing shelter, a home, somewhere to hatch and rear chicks. I had seen many birds around hatch and fly away but I had never quite been such an intimate part of the process. It was nice because for so long I had not been part of anything. It was company to have the pigeon nesting for hours, cooing in the evening as the Sun set below the tops of the trees and in the morning as it rose again. After a few weeks the chicks hatched and chirped loudly for food. When it was retrieved and brought back to them, they were so loud in anticipation of a full stomach that any life below seemed intrigued and bewildered by the noise above. Then as life began to repeat it’s lonely course, the chicks soon grew big and fledged, the parents abandoned the nest and I was no longer of any use to them.
 Out of the blue one day I heard laughter and shouting. Two children, a boy and a girl, ran through the gate giggling. ‘Mum you can’t catch us’ they shouted. ‘Yes I can!’ shouted a woman who had just run through the gate. ‘Ahh!’ screamed the two children. ‘Help us Uncle Will.’ shouted one. ‘Ok I’m coming.’ replied a voice beyond the gate. A tall man then approached the gate and said ‘Oh Sarah, I am not as fit as I used to be.’ ‘I know the feeling’ replied an out of breath Sarah. They were now grown up and Sarah had children. They had rope and a tyre and they all helped make a swing with the two children not far from my tree. It was nice to see some life back around ‘the garden.’ The children played there alot. 'The garden' seemed to be visited more now and although I was a forgotten old Swing in an old rotten tree, lost to the world, no longer part of any person or creatures life I realised the branch which for so long now I had a use for and lay upon, provided me with the ability to provide others with uses time and time again and it went unnoticed. I am very grateful.                                    

The Sun Still Shines.

Early one morning, I went for a very long walk.

to a place, where once, many people would talk.

Hidden by trees, a house quietly sat there.

It no longer had love or anybody to care.

Through the window, I saw an old bed.

Left as it was, all movement now dead.

It was dark and dusty in this old family place

I could not see much joy in this empty space. 

Then it occurred to me and my wondering eyes,

The summer sun was now shining as it began to rise.

It shone on the wall and brightened the room

and shone in the hall on an old wooden broom.

It kissed the fireplace and soon resembled a flame

for the absence of warmth, only time was to blame.

In this old house, people may have ceased to reside.

But the Sun still shines and breathes a new life inside.

An Old Man's Tale

There once lived an old man, far up in the mountains away from everything. He lived alone, isolated in the land around him. He didn't mind though, as he loved where he lived. He grew his own vegetables and had some cows which provided him with milk. His home was an old thatch cottage with just a few rooms and a big open fire at the heart of the house where he would sit every night and read. He read not only to himself but to a rock. You see when one lives alone for many years, they find other ways of keeping company and the old man did this by befriending a rock. He read to the rock every night whom he named quite simply, Rock. He was not crazy however as he found objects such as Rock enabled him to talk for hours without being interrupted as well as feeling like he had company.

One very stormy night, as the windows rattled with the wind and rain, the old man sat down after stirring the fire. He began to tell a story to the rock who was opposite him on a stool beside the fire. Now Rock, I'll tell you a story from some time ago. Since I was a young man I would go for a walk everyday after tending to the cattle and garden. The scenery on the walk was never less than magical. When the Sun would shine, the mountain glowed with light and the area seemed happy. I'm not sure if you could say a flower or a tree was happy but if you looked closely you could almost make out a smile on some of them. That is how beautiful it is when the Sun shines up here. There is a small bridge nearby and I would sit on it everyday pondering and listening to the water flow as it was very relaxing. Then after awhile I would continue on my walk until I decided I had walked enough and returned home. One day I was sitting on the bridge when I heard a beautiful sound. "What on earth is that?" I asked myself. It was some kind of singing or so it seemed. High and low I searched but could not find where this beautiful sound was coming from. So I waited until the sound stopped and saw something moving among the reeds. It was a beautiful blue Butterfly and it took flight into the air as I returned to my walk assuming the noise was just a bird nesting nearby for the summer.

It was indeed early summer and the trees were green with leaves. There were yellow Buttercups in every field and Bumble Bees were hurrying past about their business every few minutes. The Swallows were swooping in and out of the meadows catching bugs and looking for mud to build their nests. It was only my house they would build on high up in these mountains as it was the only house around. So I knew they were the Swallows who would be making my home theirs for the summer. After a long walk I made my way back as it was getting dark. The moon was rising and was full that night. By the time I had made it back to the bridge it was nightfall but what a beautiful night it was. The Moon lit a path for me. Trees almost shone as their leaves reflected the moonlight which bounced off of them. You could see for miles around. Then I heard it. It was beautiful. The sound I had heard earlier. I walked toward the edge of the bridge and slowly looked down below. There, amongst the reeds, I saw something that I will never forget. A Butterfly, as blue as the sky, glowed like a spark from a fire and it sang a song, such a beautiful song which brought a tear to my eye. I looked on as it sang. It seemed to be telling a story. I thought, perhaps it was a story of its life. I had never heard a Butterfly sing and this was special. Something had touched this little creature's heart and it felt it needed to sing this beautiful song because of it. I could not understand what it was singing so I just listened until as quick as it had begun; it stopped singing and fluttered off into the night sky.

I walked toward home on the well lit path, thinking of what I had just seen. A singing Butterfly. Was I going mad? That is what I thought until I saw something peculiar. As I walked, something in the bushes nearby caught my attention. It was a badger running through a hedge and then another. They hurried through, followed by a fox. I made my way over quietly and peered through a gap in the hedge. To my surprise, there were many different animals all gathered around in a circle. The moon continued to shine brightly and they remained there for some time as though waiting patiently for something to happen. After awhile, I noticed something in the centre of the animals. It was the Butterfly. It began to sing and I couldn't believe my eyes for what I saw amazed me. Will I tell you what I saw Rock? Well, the animals got up one by one and began to dance around the Butterfly as it sang its song. They danced around the trees and danced around flowers and they danced around the Butterfly as it sang until dawn when it stopped and fluttered off again into the sky. The animals left soon after and when they had all gone I too went home for some rest after the shock of that night.

After a few hours sleep, I awoke and tended to the cattle and garden. The Sun shone brightly and the birds were singing. I set off walking and came to the little bridge above the stream again where I sat for awhile. I stared into the water and saw my reflection. I noticed something above my head and looked up. It was the Butterfly. It landed on my shoulder and began to sing. This time I could hear it clearly as it sang words I understood. It sang "In my life I have seen many things, lush green valleys and flowers so rare but never have I seen a more beautiful place than this." Then it fluttered and flew off again as I realised how lucky I was. I now understood why this Butterfly sang. You see Rock, when I was young; I was not alone in these mountains. There were many people but times were hard and they all left to find work. I could not tear myself away from my home though and I stayed behind. When I walk outside every morning and I look around at the beauty which surrounds me, I just smile and I smile so wide that it lasts for the day. This is all the happiness I need right here and from then on I knew that I was meant to stay here for a place of such beauty has to be seen by human eyes. I never did see that Butterfly again though. Now Rock, it's getting late and the storm has eased off. I think it's time for bed eh?

The next morning, the old man went for a walk after tending to his chores. It was mid autumn and the fallen brown and golden leaves lined the old dirt path. The last of the warmth in the Sun was fast fading and birds were preparing for winter. When he reached the little bridge, he sat down for awhile to relax and listen to the soothing sound of the water softly flowing and before setting off again on his walk he said to himself "In my life I have seen many things, lush green valleys and flowers so rare, but never have I seen a more beautiful place than this."