Otto the Hedgehog Goes Shopping

Otto the hedgehog had a list. The list said:

1. A brown loaf
2. A tin of strawberries
3. An umbrella

He folded the list and put it under one of his most reliable spines. Then he set off.

The shop was at the end of the lane, near the old fence post.

The bread shelf was easy. Brown loaf — got it. He balanced it on his back, where the spines held it neatly.

The strawberry shelf was easy too. Tin of strawberries — got it. He balanced it next to the loaf.

The umbrella aisle was hard.

Hedgehogs are very particular about umbrellas. The umbrella has to fit between the spines, not on top of them, otherwise the spines poke through and ruin a perfectly good umbrella.

Otto tried the green one. Too big. He tried the polka-dot one. Too small. He tried the yellow one with the duck handle. Just right.

At the till, the badger said, "That'll be three acorns, please."

Otto paid. He tucked the umbrella between two careful spines and walked home in the rain.

The brown loaf was still dry when he got there. So were the strawberries. And so was Otto.

A good hedgehog always comes home dry.