Today I ventured out of my hole. It was scary. First I saw a weird creature. It was floating in the air and has very long pieces of feathers coming out the sides of it. Mom told me they were called wings. Tomorrow I have my first day at school. I hope I’m not the smallest! Hedgehogs are supposed to be less than than 700 grams (1.5 pounds). I’m very small for my age. I’m only 200 grams! hopefully that’s big enough to not get bullied.

October 6th

I was packing my backpack today when I left to go to school. On my way out I grabbed a worm and some cranberries. That was my favorite breakfast. I got to school and met my teacher, Mr. Poky. His quills looked very sharp! I went to my desk and saw another animal. I didn’t know what it was until it said :” Why you lookin’ at poor ol’ desert hedgy?”  Wait a minute, I know what desert hedgehogs are... Mommy said they were meanies. I stayed to stay away from him but of course we had to be partners. He called me “small one” and I cried in the bathroom after that. I has brought my lunch with me and dreamed about his large ears and long legs crushing me. In my dream he looked like a huge porcupine. Well, that’s what all the hedgehogs look like. I guess I’ll just wait until I get home to tell on him.

October 7th

Today I was walking home and I heard the desert hedgehog saying this: "Her limbs are so thin, it makes her feet look so big!" I didn't like that so I told my mom about it. She told Mr. Poky on her Grass-a-phone. The next day Mr.Poky moved me next to a girl named Fraulein Maria. She was new to the class. I feel like I've heard that before. Oh yeah, it's in that movie The Sound of Grass that we watched on youhedge! In science she spilled potion all over me. It was not fun. I went to the nurse to get it cleaned up when I heard him the desert hedghog behind me. I told a teacher and he got in trouble. Haha!

October 8th

My mom only gave me grass cereal for breakfast. It tasted terrible. At least it’s better than root salad! Today Fraulein Maria was gone. I hope she didn’t get taken as a pet. They say we are good pets. I hope we aren’t as good a pet as my pet butterfly. If anyone puts their hands on me, I’m letting out a spike.

October 9th

Fraulein Maria Gone!

Dear Diary,

I read the hedge-papers today. Apparently she did get taken by the humans. I feel bad for her even though she did spill potion on me. I told my dad but he didn’t believe me. Too bad for him. I hope they don’t come near our hole. (Oh, and if you didn’t know, hedgehogs live in small holes.)  I went to school and saw that the Fraulein Maria was still absent. Does she not know how to let out spikes?

October 10th

Dear Diary,

Today at school Mr. Poky set out to do attendance. When he called on me I shrunk down in my seat and said “here” very quietly. I didn’t want the desert hedgehog to see me today. Maybe if he didn’t see me he would ignore me. But the plan backfired. I think, or he may have just been talking about all hedgehogs. He said “I can’t believe we’re named because of our peculiar foraging habits!” He was probably talking to all his long eared friends.

October 11th