Prickles the Porcupine Learns about Peace

More than anything, Prickles the porcupine wanted Patty the puppy to be quiet so he could relax. He didn't want to feel upset, he wanted peace. But when Patty made digging noises, Prickles did feel upset. He wanted to roll himself up into a tight, prickly ball. Then his porcupine quills would stick out like needles all over his body. Whoever got too close to his quills might even get poked! Prickles had a bed in the woods in a tiny cave called a den. The den was covered with two old logs under some tall shady trees. He liked to sleep in his den during the day where it was cool and quiet. At night he came out of his den to find berries, nuts, and leaves to eat. After that he would play with his porcupine friends while most of the other animals in the woods were sleeping. One day, Prickles tried to go to sleep in his den. Suddenly, he heard a digging noise! Prickles began to feel grumpy and upset. Patty was digging a hole nearby! The digging noises sounded like a loud 'whish-swish, whish-swish, whish-swish'. The noises were so close to his den that Prickles could hear every whish and every swish! Now Prickles felt angry and tired because he could not relax and sleep. He was very upset about Patty mking those 'whish-swish, whish-swish, whish-swish' noises! What could Prickles do? Prickles thought and thought. He could see Patty digging a big hole nearby. Even when he was in the tree, he could hear the 'whish-swish, whish-swish, whish-swish' sounds she made. Prickles decided to try to scare Patty away. He climbed down the tree and rolled into a tight, prickly ball in front of the hole where Patty was digging. He hoped that Patty would see him and get scared of his quills. 'Maybe if she is scared, she will go away', he thought. The 'whish-swish, whish-swish, whish-swish' noises stopped. Sure enough, Patty saw the ball of Prickly quills. But she was not afraid that she would get poked because she already knew better than to get too close to a porcupine! Instead, Patty tried to cover Prickles with the dirt that she was digging out of the hole! She kicked and kicked the dirt so that it flew high into the air and fell all over Prickles! Prickles felt the dirt falling onto his body through his quills. 'Oh no,' he thought. 'I better climb back up that tree fast!' He scampered away and climbed to the top branch of the tree. Lots of dirt fell from him as he climbed. Prickles thought about what to do next. 'I know what I will do! I will show Patty my angry face and yell loudly! I will tell her to go away!' Prickles climbed partway down the tree. He saw Patty already digging again, making loud 'whish-swish, whish-swish, whish-swish sounds. Prickles made his face look as angry as he could. Then he yelled, "Go away, Patty! I do not want you to dig a hole here. I am angry. I can't relax or sleep. I don't have any peace or quiet because you are making digging noises!" Patty stopped digging. She looked toward the tree and saw Prickles with his angry face. She was surprised to see him there and to hear him yelling. She sat down. "Let's talk about this. Maybe there is a way we both can have peace. But let's not get upset with each other," said Patty.