The last rays of the sun slipped over the large farmyard. Old apple trees grew there, along with large, untended berry bushes. In almost abandoned corner of the garden, where people rarely went, there was a particularly dense blackcurrant bush. Beneath it lay a nest, built hidden from human eyes. A large pile of leaves, some blades of grass, a bit of moss, and a few bird feathers. Under a thick branch there was a hole in the ground. Through this hole, the mother hedgehog could walk in and out of the nest.
The hedgehog had put a lot of effort into building the nest. It was spacious, dry, warm, and very soft. The mother hedgehog had spent a whole week choosing the location. She went from one corner of the garden to another, looked between stacks of logs and under various bushes. She even found a large stump, but nowhere seemed safe. Finding the large blackcurrant bush growing in a shady spot was difficult, but it suited her best.
Having settled on the blackcurrant bush, she watched the area for two more days. She had to be sure no one would come to disturb her. Then one evening, the work began at breakneck speed. Dry leaves from here, blades of grass from there, moss from a little further away. She carried the materials between her small teeth and dragged them under the bush. Once the pile was ready, she burrowed a passage into it and pushed the heap wider to create space inside. She didn’t need very much room, just a little. Then she bustled off to look for softer materials. She found some bird feathers and lined the floor with them. The cold rising from the ground is not good for the young. With the feathers in place, she turned around a bit in her new home, it had become wonderfully cozy. Even if it had taken a whole long night and part of the day to build. She dozed a little, went to look for food, and ate her tummy full.
She felt that this night would be special. Before darkness fell, she went for a short walk. On her way back to the nest, she found a few more bird feathers. These found their place on the nest floor, making the feather lining thicker, softer, and warmer.
“So nice and soft,” the hedgehog thought, and lay down to sleep.
She had barely slept when she felt stronger movement in her belly. She settled into a more comfortable position, and after a few hours of effort, she had four baby hedgehogs with her. A newborn hedgehog is as small as a human thumb. Tiny and slightly curled, a bit like a little worm. One of these hedgehogs was a girl, and she was named Sammu.
Sammu was somewhat pink, but also a little grey in color. Her eyes were closed, and her ears could only be seen if you looked very carefully. Sammu didn’t have a single spine, only soft and delicate skin. Not a single spine! During the first hours, her spines were hidden beneath the skin. That way, Sammu did not hurt her mother when she popped out of her mother’s belly. After a couple of hours, soft white spines emerged from her skin. They did not hurt. Now Sammu was like a tiny pink pincushion, with white dots on her back. She couldn’t hear or see, but she moved, ate, and slept. Along with Sammu, her three brothers were also born. One little lady and three boys, though they were all simply called hoglets.
The little hedgehogs snuffled beneath their mother’s belly. It was warmly comfortable there, and they could eat. Sammu was a bit smaller, and the boys kept pushing her aside. Their mother would help Sammu back under her belly so that all of them could get fed. Sammu felt her mother’s great love and enjoyed her first meal. Once all the little ones had their bellies full, they immediately fell asleep. Their first feeding had been very tiring. Their mother left them safely tucked beneath her, warm and peaceful, and she fell asleep again as well.