I was on my way home from school and saw children kicking up leaves. It looked like a fun thing to do, watching the autumn leaves swirl around in the air. As I moved towards a large oak tree, a sudden gust of wind snapped a large branch above me. It dropped to the ground with a loud crack! I looked down at the pile of leaves near the tree's roots and saw a small brown, ball-like shape roll out. I tiptoed closer to realize that it was a hoglet—a baby hedgehog!

I looked around the base of the massive trunk to see if the mother hedgehog was nearby, but I could not see anything. I was not sure what to do. Heavy, ink-black clouds rolled in, and ice-cold raindrops began to sting my cheeks. Looking down at the shivering hoglet, my stomach knotted with worry. I decided I needed to take it home. Mummy and Daddy are always good at knowing what to do, so they would help.

I knew I could not pick it up with my bare hands because the tiny spikes would prick my fingers. Opening my school bag, I pulled out my PE t-shirt and poked my hands inside the sleeves. I carefully and slowly scooped up the hedgehog, wrapping it safely inside the soft fabric. I swung my school bag back onto my shoulders and walked home, holding the hedgehog gently in both hands. I pulled my jacket hood over my head to try to keep the rain off, keeping the t-shirt dry.

When I arrived home, luckily Mummy and Verity were waiting for me so we could have afternoon tea together. They could see that I had something in my hands, and both wondered what it was, but they stayed quiet and waited for me to speak. I set the rolled-up t-shirt on the sideboard, took off my wet coat and shoes, and explained how the children had been kicking the autumn leaves. Then I said, “I found this!” I slowly rolled the fabric open to reveal the hoglet. “Oh my!” said Mummy.

Mummy picked up the t-shirt carefully and carried it through to the dining room. She instructed Verity to get a cardboard box from the pantry, while I filled the kettle to prepare a hot water bottle. Mummy explained that because the hedgehog was such a tiny baby, keeping it warm was the top priority. We tucked the warm water bottle safely inside a pillowcase and arranged it in the bottom of the box. Mummy then gently lifted the hoglet and its t-shirt, setting them right next to the comforting heat. We also added a small bowl of water so the hedgehog could have a drink. Suddenly, the little creature made a high-pitched peep that sounded just like a bird chirping. We could only wonder if it was feeling a bit happier.

Daddy arrived home a little later and immediately heard the strange noise coming from the dining room. Seeing us all gathered around the table, I told him the whole rescue story. Daddy guessed that the chirping meant the baby was hungry, but we had no idea what to feed it. He opened his laptop to do some quick research. Every website warned us never to give milk or dairy, as it makes hedgehogs incredibly sick. The pages listed wild foods like beetles, caterpillars, slugs, and snails—none of which we had in the house! Fortunately, Daddy found a site mentioning that plain dog food is a safe alternative. We scooped a small amount onto a saucer and placed it inside the box.

We all stood back and waited quietly to see what would happen. The hoglet moved slowly, first taking a tiny sip of water, and then shuffling over to enjoy its meal. Once it finished eating, it crawled back to the t-shirt to snuggle up and rest. We all sighed with relief. Daddy suggested we put a lid over the box, explaining that hedgehogs are surprisingly excellent climbers. If the hoglet managed to scale the cardboard walls, it could easily get lost in the house. He was also worried the dogs might mistake it for a prickly toy, which would terrify the poor thing.