A/N: Prompt from cjnwriter: "Sleepy Hedgehog"
Harold the Hedgehog
A sleepy young hedgehog was Harold,
With only one thing on his mind;
A suitable bed for the winter,
To curl up in peace and unwind.
~0~
He twitched his small nose, it was winter!
He was looking for shelter quite late.
His friends were asleep by November.
It's what hedgehogs did; hibernate.
~0~
He shivered, and checked his surroundings,
His prickles were silvered in frost.
He wasn't quite sure of his bearings,
But was loathe to admit he was lost.
~0~
The park appeared huge to young Harold;
A danger-filled, open expanse.
But he had to find refuge that evening,
So he took a big breath, a big chance.
~0~
He almost, yes...almost reached safety;
Leaves piled at the edge of a wood,
When something hit Harold amidships;
A squeak of surprise, a soft thud.
~0~
He acted entirely by instinct,
Curled up in a tight, tiny ball,
And hoped that no hunter would eat him;
Too prickly, not tasty at all.
~0~
He was vaguely aware of light footsteps,
Though eyes and small ears were shut tight.
He hoped that his spines would protect him,
No option to choose fight or flight.
~0~
He found himself lifted, quite gently,
A soft, rather delicate touch,
A girl and a boy, by their voices;
He'd learned about humans and such.
~0~
The boy moved away, Harold heard him,
He picked something up from the ground;
That terrible thing which had felled him,
Stitched leather, and bouncy and round.
~0~
He stifled a yawn, did young Harold,
A reflex quite hard to ignore.
A quite philosophical hedgehog,
Resigned to what fate had in store.
~0~
He relaxed, just a little, flexed prickles;
And peeked at a woollen-gloved hand.
Heard a hurried, and brief conversation
As Harold's whole future was planned.
~0~
A box, filled with leaves, that was hopeful!
A quite satisfactory nest.
He was covered with care, and then...movement,
Which lulled him to sleep, a nice rest.
~0~
His nap was disturbed some time later;
Bright lights, deeper voices, strange scents
A face peering down, hawk-like features
A singular turn of events.
~0~
A plea from the boy, a soft chuckle,
Another abrupt change of scene.
As Harold and urchins descended,
He counted the steps, seventeen.
~0~
Fresh air, a snug space near the woodshed,
He settled in leaves, soft and deep;
A Baker Street home for the season,
And Harold, once more, fell asleep...
~0~
A/N 2: admittedly tenuous links to Sherlock Holmes, but it has been a long day:-p