Prick and the Tail-Hug Parade
Prick has a very soft heart—and a very spiky back. A tumble of moss and one thoughtful friend lead to a wonderfully unexpected way to cuddle.
✨ Make a Storybook FreeA MayaLili Original · ages 3-5 · free to read and print
Prick woke with a wish bigger than his breakfast. “A hug,” he whispered. “A lovely, squashy hug.” His soft-bellied friends shuffled close. “Ouch!” said one. “Oop!” said another. Prick’s back spikes poked every cuddle apart. He tucked his chin down. “Sorry, everybody.”
The whole story
Prick woke with a wish bigger than his breakfast. “A hug,” he whispered. “A lovely, squashy hug.” His soft-bellied friends shuffled close. “Ouch!” said one. “Oop!” said another. Prick’s back spikes poked every cuddle apart. He tucked his chin down. “Sorry, everybody.”
Under a fern, Prick found moss: thick, green, wonderfully fluffy. “A cuddle coat!” He draped it over his spikes and waddled toward his friends. One step. Two steps. Flump. The moss slid off in a heap. A beetle climbed aboard. “At least somebody likes my coat,” Prick said.
Prick sat alone beside the warm springs. Bubbles rose with tiny plips. His smooth tail curled beside him like a question mark. The smallest friend padded over. “May I sit here?” Prick nodded. “I still want a hug,” he said, very quietly.
The little friend looked at Prick’s back. Then at his tail. “What about a hug down here?” Prick blinked. “Yes, please.” Two small arms wrapped around his soft tail. No ouch. Just a squeeze. Prick’s eyes grew round. “Oh,” he said. “That reaches right up to my heart.”
“Room for another?” called his friends. Prick stretched out his tail along the warm ground. Soon a whole tail-hugging line snuggled together. Prick hummed. His friends hummed too. Nearby, the beetle snoozed in the moss coat. Nobody needed it now. “Same time tomorrow?” Prick asked. “Yes, please!”