Hedgehog’s Too-Wide Door
Author: YouAndWorld Editorial · Source: YouAndWorld original read-aloud collection, October 2026 · Adapted by YouAndWorld
Hedgehog built a little house beneath the hazel bush. He measured the door with a leaf.
“Just right for me,” he said.
Rabbit arrived with a welcome carrot, but her ears would not fit. Tortoise brought a smooth stone, but his shell would not fit either.
Hedgehog sat inside with two lovely gifts and no guests. The room felt much too quiet.
“I measured only myself,” he said.
With Rabbit holding the leaf and Tortoise steadying the wood, he made a wider doorway. Then he moved his chair so there was room to turn.
That evening they shared carrot soup. A breeze slipped through the wide door and fluttered their napkins.
“Too wide?” asked Rabbit.
Hedgehog looked at his friends around the table. “Exactly right,” he said.
Moral of the Story
A welcoming place makes room for different needs.
Questions to Discuss
- Why could the visitors not enter?
- What did Hedgehog change?
- How can we make everyone welcome?
The Lion and the Mouse
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