Harrison Hedgehog's New Shoes, Pam Swain [latest books to read TXT] 📗

Harrison Hedgehog’s New Shoes.

Harrison sat by the side of the road watching as his friends and family crossed at the hedgehog crossing. It was a dull day at the beginning of November and he shivered with cold. Very often motorists didn’t see the hedgehogs and there were accidents. The very worst time was now, coming up to the winter, just before the hedgehogs went to find a nice cosy place to hibernate. Often they were tired and not concentrating on crossing the road the way they had been taught and their thoughts were of a big meal and a long sleep.

The days and evenings had become darker making it more difficult for the motorists to see them. Harrison wished there was something he could do to make things safer. He had to cross the road this time to go to the garden he had found which had his favourite bush to hibernate under. The branches were so long they acted like a curtain and kept him sheltered. His friends were already safely across except for Harold who had a broken leg from being knocked down a few days before. He was just going to stay under the hedge and by the time winter was over his leg would be mended.

Harrison walked toward the edge of the road and his friends were waiting for him on the other side.

“C’mon Harri,” they shouted “hurry Harri, hurry Harri, hurry Hari.” They chanted.

He hated it when they said that. Stepping gingerly out into the road he looked from right to left and right again as all the young hedgehogs had been taught. Then he ran as fast as his little legs would move. Just at that instant a car seemed to come out of nowhere and swerved to miss him. He threw himself on to the ground beside his friends till he could catch his breath. That had been too close. His friends were all in a state of shock as well.

After a while they went their separate ways to the places they had chosen to go for their winter sleep. Harrison rushed along yawning, keeping beside the fences and hedges. Finally he found the fence with the hole under it and crawled inside. He could see the bush on the other side of the garden. He had been there last year and the people in the house were on the lookout for him so the children could see him before he curled up in a ball and went for his long sleep.

“There he is,” they cheered. “Hello! little hedgehog, welcome back. We have left you some food.”

Harrison stopped half way across the garden and ate the raisins they had left in a trail, leading to his bush. He hoped they had left him weetabix again because he loved it. They often left dried food and water out for him. He had woken a few times through his hibernation last year and there was always food left under the bush. He watched the two little boys jumping up and down with excitement. The smallest one launched himself at Harrison and started crawling around on all fours screaming a high pitched cry of delight. He was wearing his wellington boots with a pair of denim overalls and a wooly red jumper. Both boys faced were smeared with chocolate from baking chocolate crackles with their mother.

“Justin, settle down,” his mother said “or you will frighten the poor wee thing!”

The bigger boy had fair hair and blue eyes and a lovely smile. He laughed loudly as he got down on his tummy to watch Harrison eating. He was wearing long denim shorts, a red tee shirt that said Mr Mischief on it and colourful socks and trainers. He got up and ran over to the bush calling Harrison like a cat or dog.

“C’mon boy,” he said, “time for you to go to bed.” As he said it he put his head back and laughed and jumped up and down.

“Leave him alone, Ethan, he will go to sleep in his own good time.” His mother called.

But Harrison was completely still, watching him. His shoes lit up as he jumped. How could that be? An idea was forming on Harrison’s mind as he wandered under his bush. They had left him weetabix and he ate it all but he was very tired so he curled up in a ball and fell into a deep sleep.

When Harrison awoke in March he felt refreshed and excited. The plan had formed in his mind and he couldn’t wait to get back to tell the others. First he ate and drank what the children had left for him and then he scuttled along until he got to the crossing place. There were a few hedgehogs making their way across the road. It looked safe and Harrison ran as fast as he could across but it is hard for a hedgehog to run with such tiny legs. He got safely to the other side and went looking for his great uncle Herbert who was the cleverest hedgehog he knew. Herbert was always making things in his little workshop and Harrison whispered his idea to him.

“What a great idea, Harrison, why didn’t I think of that.” He said.

Harrison drew his idea on a table in Herbert’s workshop in chalk and the old hedgehog peered over the glasses on the end of his nose and nodded his head.

“We will keep this a secret until we see how it works out; I think it should be ready in a couple of days.” Great Uncle Herbert said.

The next two days seemed the longest of Harrison’s life. He called in to the workshop several times a day and Great Uncle Herbert was patient with him but told him he just had to wait and would not let him see what he had done so far.

Finally the time came and Great Uncle Herbert called out for Harrison to come to the workshop and for all the others to gather round outside. Harrison was so excited. The other hedgehogs were muttering amongst themselves wondering what the surprise could be. Then, the door opened and Harrison came out with tiny trainers on his feet. As he walked they lit up! “They are called Ethan shoes,” he said “and now the traffic can see us coming.”He said.

There was a great buzz of excitement as all the hedgehogs formed a queue, each to go into the workshop and get fitted for their shoes.

A few days later every one of the hedgehogs were proudly wearing their Ethan shoes and as they walked in a line across the road the traffic stopped and the drivers smiled and laughed in disbelief. The local paper found out about it and took photographs and wrote about it in their paper so more motorists knew where the hedgehog crossing was.

Harrison became famous.Now when he proudly crosses the road, his friends call out, “Hurray for Harri, Hurray for Harri, Hurray for Harri.” And Harrison smiles.

From that day on all the hedgehogs have crossed that road safely and there have been no more accidents.

Publication Date: 02-23-2013

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