The Silly Hedgehog and the Missing Socks
In the middle of a bright, happy farm, there lived a little hedgehog named Harry. Harry was small, round, and very, very spiky. Harry loved to think up funny games and silly ideas. Harry also loved to find socks. He liked socks very much. He liked blue socks and red socks and socks with stars.
One sunny morning, Harry woke up and looked under his bed. He giggled and wiggled his nose. “Oh dear,” he said, “where are my socks today?”
Harry rolled and tumbled and peeked under his chair. No socks. Harry rolled and tumbled and peeked behind his door. No socks. Harry scratched his head with his tiny paw.
Suddenly, he heard a little quack. “Harry, what are you doing?” asked Daisy the duck. Daisy had big yellow feet and wore a bright pink bow.
“I'm looking for my socks,” said Harry. “They are gone! Have you seen them?”
Daisy shook her head. “No socks here! But I will help. Let's look together!”
So Harry and Daisy waddled and rolled across the farm. They bumped into Benny the goat. Benny was busy eating a hat.
“Benny, have you seen my socks?” asked Harry.
Benny chewed and chewed. “No, no socks. But I can help too!” Benny nodded and bounced along.
Now there were three friends, looking for Harry's socks. They looked in the chicken coop. Cluck, cluck! No socks. They looked in the barn. Moo, moo! No socks.
Then they saw Penny the pig. Penny was rolling in the mud, very happy and pink.
“Penny!” called Harry. “Have you seen my socks?”
Penny snorted. “No socks here, but I will help! I love finding things.”
Now there were four friends, searching and searching. They looked in the hay. They looked in the wheelbarrow. They looked in the big blue bucket.
No socks.
Harry flopped down on the grass. “Oh dear. My socks are gone forever!”
Suddenly, Daisy started to laugh. “Look, look! What is that on your back, Harry?”
Harry tried to look at his back. Daisy, Benny, and Penny all looked, too.
He twisted. He turned. He spun in a little circle.
There, stuck on Harry's spiky back, were three socks. A blue sock, a red sock, and a sock with stars. They were stuck tight to his spikes.
Benny giggled. “Oh, Harry! You are wearing your socks on your back!”
Penny snorted and rolled in the grass. “You are the silliest hedgehog ever!”
Harry laughed and laughed. “Oh, my socks! I found them! Or maybe…they found me!”
All the animals laughed together. The sun was warm, and the grass was soft, and nobody was in a hurry.
The Great Sock Parade
Harry wiggled with joy. “Let's have a sock parade!” he cheered.
Daisy clapped her wings. Benny jumped up and down. Penny spun in the mud.
Harry put one sock on each paw. He put the third sock on his nose. He looked very funny. Daisy found her own sock and put it on her head. Benny wore a hat on his tail. Penny found a big blue sock and put it on her ear.
They marched up and down the farm. “Sock parade! Sock parade!” they sang. Chickens clucked. Cows mooed. Everybody laughed.
Harry walked and twirled. Daisy danced. Benny bounced. Penny rolled and rolled.
Harry called, “Let's show Farmer Rooster!”
But there was no Farmer Rooster. Only Mr. Rooster the bird, who watched from the fence. He flapped his wings and crowed, “Sock parade! Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
Harry, Daisy, Benny, and Penny laughed and laughed.
At the end of the parade, Harry took off his socks and put them in a safe place. “No more missing socks today,” he said.
All the friends snuggled together in the soft grass. They felt happy, warm, and very silly.
Harry closed his eyes and smiled. “Maybe tomorrow, we can look for missing hats!” he whispered.
His friends giggled. “Yes, tomorrow we will find hats!” said Daisy.
And on the happy, silly farm, everyone took a little nap, dreaming of socks, hats, and lots of laughter.
