It was a lovely Autumn day.
Warm and sunny.
Maisie Jumble was playing in the garden. Maisie liked tumbling around.
She was just about go into a headstand when ………
‘Rustle rustle’
What was that? wondered Maisie.
‘Rustle rustle’
There it was again.
Where was the noise coming from?
Maisie looked up at the trees.
She looked down at the grass.
She looked right and then left.
Where was the noise coming from?
Then, from under the bushes came the
most perculiar little creature.
Can you guess what it was?
Here are some clues.
It was small and roundish.
It had four tiny legs.
It had two eyes and a little pointed face and snout.
It was covered in prickles!
You’ve guessed?
Yes! It was a hedgehog. A very young hedgehog.
Maisie thought it was SO cute!
She wanted to keep it as a pet but knew not to.
It is not kind to keep wild animals as pets.
So, instead, Maisie enjoyed watching it in the garden.
Maisie had read about hedgehogs in story-books but she had never seen a real
one before .
Now her head was full of so many questions.
Why are they called hedgehogs?
Why do they have prickles ?
Why are their legs so short?
What do they eat?
Why do they have such a pointed snout?
What kind of an animal are they?
Maisie picked up the little hedgehog very carefully and do you know what it did?
Yes! It rolled into a ball. A very prickly ball.
‘Ouch! said Maisie. ‘Now I know why they have prickles. It’s to stop other animals
from catching and eating them!’
Maisie watched the hedgehog for a long time.
She saw it nuzzling the grass with its snout.
‘I wonder what the hedgehog is doing,’ thought Maisie.
‘It looks like it’s searching for something. I wonder what it can be?’
Maisie needs some help to find the answers to her other questions.
Can you help her?
Where do you think you can look ?
Try the links below.
http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/pages/all-about-hedgehogs.html
…. and here is a short video of Maisie with the hedgehog.
Today is BONFIRE NIGHT in the UK.
A very dangerous day for hedgehogs who like to sleep in piles of leaves and sticks.
Creative Learning for Young Children 