| The owls have feathers lined with down To keep them nice and warm; The rats have top-coats soft and brown To wrap in from the storm; And nearly every bird and beast Has cosy suits to wear But Mr. Hedgehog has the least Of any for his share. His back is stuck with prickly pins That breezes whistle through, And when the winter-time begins The only thing to do Is just to find a leafy spot, And curl up from the rain, Until the Spring comes bright and hot, To waken him again.
The owls and rats and all their folk Are soft and smooth to touch, But hedgehogs are not nice to stroke, Their prickles hurt so much. So though it looks a little queer, His coat is best of all; For nobody could interfere With such a bristly ball. |