Once upon a time
Not so long ago
There was a hedgehog
Whose name, was Brian
Brian lived in a cave deep in the forest
A dark and terrible place called weird wild wood
After dark, the forest would echo with howls and screams
And sometimes it seemed to Brian as if even the moon conspired against him
But the more afraid Brian became, the angrier he got
Until one night, frightened out of his wits
He turned himself into a terrifying monster
He put on weight, painted his face, and started insisted on being addressed as Balthazar the Berserker
But then a strange thing happed
Brian received an unexpected visitor
“Come any closer I’ll scratch your eyes out.” He snarled angrily at the flickering eyes in the trees
“Brian?” Whispered a voice, “Is that really you?”
“Who the fuck are you calling Brian?” Said Brian, as menacingly as he could manage
“Why, Brian, it is you.”
It was Harold, his brother, last seen by the road, walking with mother a long time ago. He said, “I’m so happy I found you, Brian, old chap. I’ve been terribly lonely and fancied a chat.”
But Brian had crossed that road and never looked back.
He’d erased the memory and his soul was now black.
“Harold, mate. I hate to be blunt. But look into the mirror, you prickly idiot. You are a worthless, pathetic, sniveling fool. I’d rather spend time with worms in my stool.”
With that he chased him into the trees and over the dells, screaming, “I’ll eat you for supper or meet you in hell.”
But fate intervened and Brian got lost.
And to make matters worse, there was a treacherous fog.
“Hello.” he cried. “Is anyone there?”
But no one replied, and Brian got scared.
And that’s when he saw he wasn’t alone.
A small, crumpled body was lying in the road.
( A truck suddenly came in the road, Harold jumped out and saved Brian. )
“Why didn’t you leave me?” said Brian. “And just let me die.”
“You are my brother,” said Harold. “How on earth could I?”
And that’s when they heard the pitiful cries, of a very small hedgehog whose mother just died.
And suddenly Brian just started to blub
He picked up the babe and gave it a hug, “This little thing, you know, reminds me of us. Left all alone when Mum caught that bus.”
“The spell has been broken,” said Harold. “It’s time to break free. You are not really a monster. You are a hedgehog, like me.”



It’s symbolic. You see, they discovered their true selves. They started again where they left off before the trauma of losing their mum.
I tell you, that was my life, right there in that cave. I’m not a monster, am I?
No, you just need some help.
You are like me, we are just like the brothers.



So Harold and his long-lost brother Brian, lived happily afterwards in the old hedgerow beside the churchyard.
And remember, no matter how dark and scary those woods may seem, there’s always a way across the road for a hedgehog brave enough to cross it.

Thank you.