Hattie the Hedgehog and the Picnic by Whispering Creek

hattie the hedgehog had exactly 72 prickles on her back she knew because she counted them when she felt nervous last week we heard how barnaby the beetle found his own quiet magic and hattie was learning that lesson too she believed that if she just stayed very still and very quiet her 72 prickles could make her almost invisible today there was a picnic by the whispering creek all the forest animals were invited from her hiding spot behind a big green fern hattie could hear them she heard the happy splash of the otter family and the deep rumbling laughter of the badger brothers she could smell the sweet clover honey the bears had brought everyone sounded so

loud so very bright and cheerful it felt like a party she wasn't sure how to join a big fuzzy feeling swelled up in her chest it was the feeling of wanting to be there and the feeling of being scared to go all mixed up together it made her want to curl into the tightest possible ball she watched a little rabbit show everyone a cartwheel everyone clapped hattie's paws felt heavy she didn't know how to do a cartwheel she only knew how to be very very still loneliness felt like a chilly little shadow even on such a sunny day she just wanted someone to see her but the thought of everyone looking at her at once was terrifying then something changed a tiny field mouse with big kind eyes had been sitting near

the edge of the group his name was pip he wasn't laughing loudly or doing cartwheels he was just quietly nibbling a sunflower seed and he saw her he saw the tip of her nose twitching behind the fern pip didn't point he didn't shout look a hedgehog is hiding instead he did something very small and very wonderful he picked up the juiciest reddest wild strawberry from the picnic blanket he held it carefully in his paws and slowly quietly he walked over to hattie's fern he didn't say a word at first he just gently placed the strawberry on the moss in front of her then he sat down a little ways away and started nibbling another sunflower

seed he wasn't looking right at her not in a way that felt scary he was just being there with her in the quiet hattie stayed very still for a whole minute she watched pip he wasn't expecting her to talk he wasn't waiting for her to be cheerful or loud he was sharing his quiet with her slowly so slowly she uncurled she nudged the perfect red strawberry with her nose then she took a tiny bite it was the sweetest strawberry she had ever tasted she looked over at pip and he gave her a tiny gentle smile they didn't join the big party they had their own a party for two held in the quiet shade of a fern and hattie learned that sometimes friendship doesn't start with a loud hello sometimes it starts with a shared silence and

a single perfect strawberry