Sam Squirrel's Story Page 26

Hi there, this is Sam Squirrel again.

This story is about a horrified hedgehog called Horace, you met him in December at my party.

You will be pleased to know that he is quite well now and has recovered from his ordeal.


The weather was awful that day, with heavy rain and it was quite miserable when the human Mother and Father went for their walk.

The human Family have a small stream nearby with steep sides and they usually look in to see how high the water is .

Just as well, because there was Horace sitting on a small clump of vegetation, completely stranded.

There was no possibility of him climbing the sides as they were too steep. The water was too deep and he couldn't swim.

Well it would have been  -  if Horace had been willing (and not quite so cross!)

The humans tried to coax him onto a branch so they could lift him out.

Did he want to do that ?     No  -  not really.

They went back to their house for a bucket and fastened a string onto the handle and lowered it down in front of Horace.


Well  -  how about popping into this bucket ?

Did he want to do that ?     No  -  not really.

The humans were very concerned and contacted the animal welfare people but knew it would take some time for them to arrive.

Meanwhile the water was rising and poor Horace was shivering badly and getting wetter and wetter (and wetter) and so were the humans!

Father human then had a bright idea. "We will have to persuade him into the bucket with something, like a long pole."


So they went back to the house again and found a long pole.

Mother human kept the bucket in front of Horace while Father human used the pole to persuade Horace to go into the bucket.

They had to work together, with Mother quickly pulling the bucket up as Father persuaded Horace into it.


The animal welfare people came and checked Horace to make sure that he was alright.

They said that he was OK and that the Family could let him go in their garden and he would eat all their slugs and snails for them.

I think that Horace must have been really cross and went off to some other garden because there are just as many slugs and snails !

See you again