Hi, I’m Henry. I am a hedgehog and I live in a cozy burrow under the roots of an old pine tree 🎵, not far from Sunny Meadow. I want to tell you about a day that was probably the saddest in my life 🎵.

It all started in the morning. I woke up and knew right away that something was wrong. It was somehow… too quiet. Normally at this time, I could already hear how Bart—my best friend badger—was clattering around in his den and getting ready for our adventures.

But this morning, there was silence.

Because Bart had moved away 🎵. His family moved to the other side of Pine Corner, behind Blueberry Hill. I don’t even know exactly where that is. I only know it is very, very far away.

I sat in front of my burrow and didn’t feel like doing anything 🎵. Everything seemed sort of gray, even the moss. My favorite wild strawberries, which grow right nearby, looked like plain, boring dots in the grass.

“Henry! Come to Sunny Meadow!” called Fiona Squirrel from a branch. Her red tail whisked back and forth. “We’re playing hide-and-seek!”

But I just shook my head.

“I don’t want to,” I mumbled under my nose.

Fiona jumped down lower 🎵 and looked at me closely.

“But you love hide-and-seek! You always hide in the same leaves, and we always find you and it’s so much fun!”

“Exactly,” I sighed heavily. “Bart always pretended he couldn’t find me. He puffed loudly and stomped right next to me, even though he saw my spines perfectly. Just to make me feel nice.”

I felt like I wanted to curl into a ball and never, ever uncurl. So that is exactly what I did 🎵. I became just a prickly little ball. Fiona ran off somewhere 🎵, and I was left alone with my sadness.

After some time, I heard quiet footsteps 🎵. It was Rosie Deer. She has big, dark eyes and steps so gently that not even a dry twig snaps. She sat down next to me and said nothing. She simply was there.

I don’t know how long we sat like that. But finally, I poked my nose out 🎵.