Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to a special taster of our new
premium only story. We hope you like it. Yo. Hello,
I'm Josephine and this is the Animal Tales podcast, home
to over four hundred stories written just for you. Our
Friday story is especially for our Premium subscribers only. Marnie
is a Premium member from Sheffield in the UK and
she would like a story with a hedgehog, a sugar glider,
a starfish and a butterfly. Don't forget to listen to
the animal facts after the story to learn more about
these creatures. For now, it's time to sit back and
get comfy, because it's time to begin A home for
a hedge Marne had lived under the same hedge her
whole life. It was the perfect spot for a hedgehog.
During the summer months, she was safe and protected by
the hedges spread in greenery. Then in the winter months,
when she would hibernate, Marne would bury herself in a
pile of fallen leaves, safe amongst the roots of the bush.
This was her home, sheltered and perfect. But one morning,
Marne was awoken by a terrible noise. Terrified, she wriggled
deep under her dry leaves as the ground shook and
roaring noises thundered overhead. This went on for hours, and
Marne didn't dare appear until long after the noise had stopped.
She wriggled out to find that the hedge her home,
was gone, and it wasn't the only plant that had disappeared.
Nearby bushes and trees and brambles had all been cleared away,
leaving the muddy ground churned up with tire trucks. Without
the hedge's protection, Marney felt exposed. She couldn't stay out
in the open like this, so Marney ran, heading for
the distant sight of trees. The woodland was her only
chance of finding somewhere safe. Once there, Marney checked every hole, log,
and leaf pile that she came across, to her dismay.
They were all lived in already, and none of the
animal seemed interested in sharing. Eventually, though, all her searching
paid off when she found a small hole under the
roots of a large tree. Relieved, Marney squeezed herself in.
It was a tight fit, but it was enough. Maybe this,
she thought could be her new home. Almost immediately, something
landed on the tree's trunk above her and peered into
the hole. It was a sugar glider. Oh, I'm dreadfully sorry,
said Marny. Is this your hole? No, said the sugar glider.
I live up in the trees, not underneath them, But
I just came to warn you. There are big, hungry
animals in these woods, and I don't think that little
hole will keep you safe enough. Marny's heart sank. This
had been the first place she'd found that she could
call her own. I'm too tired to search for anywhere else,
she yawned. Thank you for your thoughtful words, but for
now I'm going to have a rest here. I understand,
said the sugar glider, and I wish you luck. Its
head disappeared from the hole's entrance, leaving Marny to curl
up tight into a prickly ball. There may be big,
hungry animals, but at least she had her spines to
protect her. Very quickly, Marny was fast asleep. Some time later,
she was awoken by the sound of snuffling light footsteps
and crinkling leaves sounded close, and then came the smell
a fox. Marney held her breath, hoping she wouldn't be
found All she could hope was that her new home
would keep her safe, just like her old one had done.
For a long time, nothing happened. There was no movement
beyond the tree. It must have gone, sighed Marny with relief,
and uncurled herself to look, poking her nose from the hole.
This was a mistake. The fox had been waiting patiently
for her, and now it was ready to pounce. But
as it attempted to do so, something landed on the
fox's face, covering its eyes with an outstretched body. It
was the sugar Glider. If you'd like to hear more,
please join our premium service. You can find out how
in the description. The premium service means. You can listen
to all animal tales stories advert free, get bonus stories,
and we guarantee to turn your animal suggestion into a
future tale. I look forward to seeing you there.