5.  The storm

A couple of weeks later the weather changed.  Clouds floated over, thunder rumbled, lightning flashed, and rain lashed down.  

A fierce wind blew, that made birds shriek and trees groan.  Several tree branches crashed to the ground.

That evening, water began to seep into the hedgehogs’ nest.  Igrene put the young hedgehogs to bed on the drier side.

George parted the branches of the bush to look outside.  A flash of lightning showed him a stream of water gushing past.  It was sweeping earth out from under the bush, and the bush was starting to tip sideways.  At any moment their home could be swept away.

Floating towards him in the stream, George saw a strong forked branch.  He grabbed it from the water and turned it around, until the fork of the branch held the main stems of the bush.

Then with all his strength, he wedged the other end of the branch firmly between two sturdy rocks.

The bush was now strongly supported.

“Wow, lucky me!” gasped George.

He then caught strips of bark from the stream and used them to build a barrier that directed the flow of water away from the bush.

Finally, he broke off a length of vine that grew nearby, and wrapped it around the bush.  He pulled it tightly round, to close the branches of the bush together and keep the worst of the wind out.

Then, tired and wet, George hedgehog crawled back into the nest.  

As he lay down beside Igrene, she opened her eyes and asked, “Are we safe now?”

“I’ve propped up the bush!” he sighed.  

She smiled. “Thank-you brave George.  I stayed in the nest to calm our babies.”

Gradually the storm moved on and George and Igrene went to sleep.