Spiney the Urchin (standard:fairy tales, 319 words)
Author: Ira L. White	Added: May 18 2003	Views/Reads: 3474/1	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
What happens when a baby porcupine doesn't believe what Mom and Dad say.

Spiney the Urchin 

Mamma and Papa Porcupine lived in the deep woods with their babies. The
parents were proud of their children. They were even proud of the one 
called Spiney who caused them to shake their heads slowly from side to 
side at least once a day. 

“You are such an urchin!” Mamma would exclaim. 

He would only laugh and giggle rattling his quills in her face. One day
the Porcupine family decided to take a trip to the beach. They emerged 
from the woods on a hill that sloped sharply down to the water. All the 
baby porcupines were both thrilled and a little scared of the steep 
slide down to an endless sea. They stayed on the woods side of the hill 
peeking over the top at the blue water. All the children obeyed their 
parent's warnings except Spiney, who wasn't afraid of anything. 

“When the tide goes out,” said Papa, “We will be able to roll down the
hill, but not now, not now. It is too dangerous.” 

“We will roll up into a ball, but we mustn't put out tails in our mouths
or they might get stuck,” said Mamma. “What great fun we will have!” 

Just then Spiney stepped to the crest of the hill, flashed his parents a
mischievous smile and prepared to roll down the hill. 

“No!” cried Papa. 

But Spiney just winked, rolled up into a ball and, finding it difficult
to hold himself that way stuck his tail into his mouth. 

“No! No!” cried Mamma Porcupine. It was too late! The urchin rolled down
the hill into the water and was carried out with the tide. 

To this day, he and his children can be found climbing among the kelp,
nibbling away like his brothers and sisters and parents nibble at the 
trees in the forest as they climb them. Try though he might, he still 
can't get unstuck! 


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