It is hard to watch your child stand apart on the playground or turn into a “spiky” little aggressor when they are not accepted into the game. This educational therapeutic story about friendship, created by an educator, is designed especially for children aged 3–6 and older to help them process the pain of rejection and learn how to negotiate with peers in a calm way, without shouting or pushing. At the end of the story, you will find a ready-made tool for home therapy: special questions for talking through feelings and a simple game that will help a child calm down instantly when hurt starts boiling inside.
The story is divided into parts for easier reading. There is also a therapeutic exercise and follow-up questions at the end to reinforce the effect. Be sure to save this page to your bookmarks!
1. Hedgehogs move to another forest
Therapeutic story about anger and rage: read on the site!
If father hedgehog had been asked what their move looked like, he would have snorted and said:
— Like a train. A very puffing one.
And it really did. They moved along the path one after another like little spiky carriages.
Up front, Dad puffed:
— Choo-choo, don’t fall behind!
Little Spike scurried behind him. He sped up, then stumbled over roots, then quietly snorted to himself.
Behind them stomped mother hedgehog:
— Spike, don’t run ahead.
— I’m not running away… I’m just walking faster , — Spike grumbled and slowed down a little.
The old forest was left behind. There was always that loud “rrr-frrr” there. The new road and those scary cars! They roared, rolled past, and smelled of something strange. Once, Spike squeezed his eyes shut so hard from that smell that he could not open them again for a long time.
— It’s so calm here! — said Dad, listening to the rustling trees and the birds calling to one another.
— And soft! — added Mom, stepping onto the thick carpet of moss.
The path dipped down and then clung to the hills.
— Into a little ball — march! — Dad cheerfully commanded.
Spike quickly tucked in his nose, pulled in his paws — and turned into a little ball.
Whoosh!
He rolled down, bounced over a bump, knocked his side against a dry branch, and snorted in surprise. It was ticklish and a little scary, but most of all — fun. As if he were a little slide all by himself.
At the bottom he uncurled, shook his quills, and looked back.
— I’m first, I’m first!
— Wait up! — Mom called from somewhere above. — I’m still coming.
Spike shifted his shoulders a little and waited. Mom was such a mom: she did not know how to roll into a ball! But he loved her very much anyway.
When the sun had already rolled down from the sky and was slowly slipping behind the pines, they stopped.
— We’ve arrived, — said Dad.
In front of them was a big snag with twisted roots. Beneath it sat a spacious burrow. Completely new — it was clear that no one had ever lived there before.
Spike peered inside with curiosity. It was dry and warm in there and smelled of bark and the old forest.
— May I? — he whispered, not daring to go in. — This is our home now! — Mom answered. It was clear that she really liked the burrow too. Spike sat by the entrance. He touched the ground with his paw. Something rustled behind the raspberry bush. Spike listened closely: that rustling was definitely someone’s! — Who’s there? — he whispered, taking a step back just in case.
But no one answered him. Only the leaves quivered and then went still again. Aha! That “someone” had got frightened too. Spike happily scratched his side against a root, sat down more comfortably, and started looking at the light between the branches — sunrays tangled there, tall grass swayed, and ants bustled up and down.
— I wonder… — he muttered. — Does anyone here roll into a little ball? Mom carried leaves and moss inside. Dad puffed as he packed down the entrance.
Spike sat a little longer. Then he went into his new home, lay down on his tummy, rested his muzzle on his paws, and sighed. This new forest smelled different. It rustled differently. Unfamiliar animals and birds lived here.
And it felt like carrying a big hard apple on your back and trying not to drop it — hard.
2. Morning surprise
One morning, fog hung between the branches like sticky cotton wool. It clung to the quills and tickled his throat and nose.
Spike woke up from a delicious smell. It smelled of fresh chanterelle mushrooms. He even opened one eye a little. Then the other. Mom was already laying out breakfast on the old tree stump. Dad sat nearby and, for some reason, looked at Spike in an unusual way. His parents exchanged glances.
— What? — Spike asked warily and stopped chewing. His heart gave an anxious jolt and started drumming.
— Nothing special, sweetheart… — Mom said. Then she added right away: — Well, almost nothing.
Dad coughed awkwardly.
— We’ve come up with something, son. I’m sure you’ll like it.
Spike froze with a mushroom in his paws. He had never seen Dad so nervous before.
— In the new forest, — Mom began slowly, picking dry leaves out of his quills, — it would be good to… get acquainted…
— Get acquainted with whom? — Spike frowned.
— With other children, — Dad said firmly. — With little animals.
And he added a little too cheerfully: — There’s a place here. “School for little forest ones.” Under the big oak. There are slides, swings, running around… and an owl who knows many stories…
— But I don’t know anyone there! — Spike cut in fearfully. Tears rushed to his eyes. His heart turned into a huge drum.
Dad pretended not to hear: — You’ll like it. You’ll make friends! They’re cheerful and funny.
Spike had heard a lot from Mom about friends and had even dreamed of them — he had been so lonely in the old forest! Near the noisy road, he was the only little one. But Spike did not know how to make friends, and now he was terribly afraid that he would not manage it.
Spike lowered his eyes to the mushroom. He bit off a small piece. Chewed for a long time.
Something inside kept tightening. As if he were rolling downhill again, only not into Dad’s soft side but somewhere unclear — farther and farther.
— Um… — he scratched behind his ear with his paw. — Do they know how to roll into a little ball?
Mom smiled with relief: — Some do. Some don’t.
— Uh-huh… I see…
The little hedgehog remembered how once in the old forest he had found a ball that a magpie had brought and then thrown away. Spike had been so happy! The ball was bright and beautiful. He wanted to nudge it gently with his nose, but as soon as he touched it with a quill, there came a — psshhh. The ball deflated and turned into a rag.
Spike sat over it for a long time then and cried. Spike looked at his quills. He poked one with his paw — still very sharp!
— What if I… — he hesitated. — Well… bump into someone. They don’t have quills like these. What if I… ruin them all? Like the ball?
— Whom? — Dad asked, already taking his little birch-bark backpack out.
— Everyone, — Spike said quietly.
Spike imagined it: lots of little animals, all running around and having fun. He comes up and says, “Hello!”
The little hedgehog remembered how once in the old forest he had found a ball that a magpie had brought and then thrown away. Spike had been so happy! The ball was bright and beautiful. He wanted to nudge it gently with his nose, but as soon as he touched it with a quill, there came a — psshhh. The ball deflated and turned into a rag.
Spike sat over it for a long time then and cried. Spike looked at his quills. He poked one with his paw — still very sharp!
— What if I… — he hesitated. — Well… bump into someone. They don’t have quills like these. What if I… ruin them all? Like the ball?
— Whom? — Dad asked, already taking his little birch-bark backpack out.
— Everyone, — Spike said almost inaudibly.
Dad snorted. He was already hurrying to work and did not quite understand what his son meant: — You’re a hedgehog. That’s normal.
Mom crouched down beside him. — Go wash up. The dew is cold and sweet today. It will wake you up.
Spike nodded and went to the stream.
The water was clear and really very tasty. He leaned over.
A little hedgehog looked back at him with a wet nose, round happy but still slightly frightened eyes, and quills sticking out in all directions.
Spike touched the reflection. The water trembled. The hedgehog trembled too.
— Hello… — Spike muttered.
He sat there a little longer. Some kind of little knot tightened inside him, making him cold and uneasy. A pebble under his paw rolled and clicked softly against another one. A tiny fish got frightened and darted under the snag.
“So that’s me… I’m scared too,” — thought the little hedgehog.
At last Dad’s voice reached him: — Spike! We’re waiting!
The little one sighed. Shook his quills.
And for some reason he really wanted to go back — under the snag. Where it was dry and quiet. Where everything was already familiar. Where Mom and his toys were. And where there were no strange new friends.
3. The new one in the group
Everything was moving. Everything was noisy.
The kindergarten under the oak was buzzing like an anthill. Only instead of ants — ears, tails, paws.
— Whooosh!
A little squirrel dashed past. Red and fast as an arrow. Its tail brushed a branch right by Spike’s nose.
Spike blinked.
— Catch it! Catch it! — someone shouted.
A little bunny in blue trousers was racing along with a big ball. He looked back and laughed.
Spike stopped. His paws became strangely disobedient, as if they did not want to move.
He stood there like a motionless hummock. And all around him, everyone was running and having fun.
Mom gave him a little push in the back with her nose.
— Come on, go.
The little hedgehog wanted to hide behind her back. But it was so interesting there! So many little ones he could play with!
When Spike and his parents stepped into the clearing, his ears began to buzz at once.
Everything was moving. Everything was noisy.
The kindergarten under the oak was buzzing like an anthill. Only instead of ants — ears, tails, paws.
— Whooosh!
A little squirrel dashed past. Red and fast as an arrow. Its tail brushed a branch right by Spike’s nose.
Spike blinked.
— Catch it! Catch it! — someone shouted.
A little bunny in blue trousers was racing along with a big ball. He looked back and laughed.
Spike stopped. His paws became strangely disobedient, as if they did not want to move.
He stood there like a motionless hummock. And all around him, everyone was running and having fun.
Mom gave him a little push in the back with her nose:
— Come on, go.
The little hedgehog wanted to hide behind her back. But it was so interesting there! So many little ones he could play with!
Spike took an uncertain step. Then another and another. From nervousness, his quills stuck out to the sides. He headed toward a little raccoon — he was building a sandcastle and seemed the friendliest:
— Hey… hi… Can I with you…
When suddenly a little bunny crashed into him. — Ouch! — he cried out and jumped back. — Why are you so… prickly?!
The ball flew out of his paws and splashed straight into a puddle. Horrified, the little hedgehog stepped back — he was so afraid the ball would burst that he even closed his eyes. And right away he stepped on the raccoon’s castle. The raccoon cried out:
— Hey, be careful! You broke my tower!
The little squirrel, who had been swinging on a branch and had seen everything, clicked angrily.
Suddenly it became very quiet. Everyone noticed the new little one and stared at him curiously.
Someone came closer — it was a little badger. Then a little fox in a dress ran up. A bear cub lumbered up after them.
— Who are you? — the little fox asked and giggled. — A cactus on legs?
Spike opened his mouth. — I… — He got our ball dirty! — said the little bunny, rubbing his side. — Look!
Everyone looked at the puddle. And Spike looked too. The ball lay there wet and dirty.
— I didn’t… — the little hedgehog tried to say.
But the words got stuck in his mouth, as if someone had shoved a dry pine cone in there.
— I don’t want to play with you, — grumbled the little bunny. — You’re sharp.
— And clumsy, — added the raccoon.
At last everyone got tired of looking at the little hedgehog.
— Let’s play without him! — shouted the little squirrel from above. — Dodgeball! But no fair — don’t take the prickly one!
Everyone started shouting and running around again. They rolled the ball out of the puddle and set it down to dry. The swings creaked, and laughter came from the slide.
Spike really wanted to run with everyone, he even shifted from one paw to the other. But he did not move anywhere — suddenly his quills felt heavy. As if there were more of them.
The little one sadly dropped his shoulders. He was all alone! And no one wanted to play with him either.
4. Prickly tank
But right then the little hedgehog remembered that he had hurt the bunny and the raccoon by accident. He even wanted to apologise, but he could not because he felt so embarrassed. In
Spike’s head suddenly it grew hot, a huge ball of fire kept getting bigger and bigger. A red mist fell over his eyes. Spike clenched his teeth.
“Fine then,” he thought. “Fine then! I’ll play with you anyway! I don’t need anyone’s permission!”
He lowered his head, spread out his quills, and boldly ran toward the little ones: — Hey! I’m playing too!
Like a tank, he crashed into the circle where the little animals were passing a pine cone to each other to a cheerful counting rhyme. — Ouch! — squeaked the little bunny and jumped away. — What are you doing!
Spike shoved him aside with his shoulder and stood there with everyone else.
— Give it here! — Spike wanted to snatch the pine cone from the little badger. The little badger jerked his paw away and, without meaning to, stuck the pine cone right onto the hedgehog’s quills.
At once the pine cone — poke! — got stuck tight. And stayed there. Spike jerked his shoulder and twisted around.
— Hey… — the little hedgehog tried to reach it with his paw, but he could not.
— Give us back our pine cone! — shouted the little fox.
— I won’t! — Spike said desperately. — You… catch me then! Come on!
He pushed the badger and ran. But no one chased after him.
— Go away, — said the little badger, stomping his paw. — You ruin everything.
— You ruin everything, not me! — shouted Spike so loudly that even his ears rang. The little fox covered her ears with her paws. He turned around and ran to the sandbox.
The raccoon was building a new castle. The little towers stood perfectly straight. Under them, the raccoon had made deep underground rooms and placed toy cars and little horses inside. It was turning into a terribly interesting game!
Spike darted up to the castle, tears rolling down his flushed cheeks.
His paws did it all by themselves — BANG!
The sand flew everywhere. The castle collapsed. The towers slid sideways and were squashed flat. The toy cars lay upside down.
Everyone stared at the little hedgehog in horror. The raccoon opened his eyes wide with distress and burst into bitter tears. The little hedgehog was crying too. But nobody felt sorry for him — everyone was comforting the little raccoon instead.
Then the little ones held paws, and the little fox said: — Let’s go away from here!
And all of them went over to the swings. Nobody laughed or ran anymore. They stood there whispering, glancing at Spike. Then they went off to another little clearing, and soon this could be heard from there:
— One, two, three — sea figure, freeze where you are!
Spike was left alone. He stood for a moment. Then he sat right down in the dust. The pine cone was still sticking out of his back. He tried once again to reach it. It didn’t work.
There was no one left on the sand pile. No one was on the swings — Spike could have played there as much as he wanted.
— Fine then… Who cares! I’ll manage! — he grumbled.
Suddenly the clearing felt very big. No one was running nearby. It was lonely and very, very sad.
5. A bitter victory
Spike sat in the sand. Somewhere over there, the cheerful game was still going on.
The pine cone on his back poked and would not come out. He jerked his shoulders and reached for it with his paw — no use.
— Fine, then! — he shouted toward the trees.
Nobody answered.
— Play there by yourselves! — he added more loudly and began digging in the sand unwillingly. But now it did not seem interesting to the little hedgehog at all.
Soon Mom came. She looked carefully at her son and understood everything right away.
— Oh… — Mom pressed her hand to her heart.
Spike did not turn around.
— I beat all of them, — he said bitterly. — See? Now the whole clearing is mine! I can play here as much as I want. I don’t need anybody!
Mom shook her head and carefully hooked the pine cone. It gave a tiny creak.
— Bear it for a moment!
— Ow… — Spike said pitifully, but he did not even jerk, as if the events of this day had taken all his strength away.
The pine cone popped out. Mom set it aside.— Fine then, — he shouted once more. I’m fine on my own too…
He lowered his eyes. The sand between his toes was gray and cold. The raccoon’s little horses and toy cars were lying among the remains of the castle.
— They don’t want to be friends with me, Mom. I’m prickly. I knew I would ruin everything, just like back then in the old forest.
Taking her son by the paw, Mom led him home. It hurt her too that her little one had been left alone. She had dreamed so much that he would make friends!
Spike looked once more toward the little ones.
— Fine then, — he said. — I’m fine on my own too…
He lowered his eyes to his paws. The sand between his toes felt cold. The raccoon’s little horses and toy cars were lying among the remains of the castle.
— They don’t want to be friends with me, Mom. I’m prickly. I knew I would ruin everything, just like back then in the old forest.
Taking her son by the paw, Mom led him home. It hurt her too that her little one had been left alone. She had dreamed so much that he would make friends!
6. Mom hedgehog’s secret secret
In the evening, Spike lay there and rubbed the edge of his moss bed with his paw.
— Mom… — Mm? — It’s hard for me, — he said and turned away. — When they don’t call me… inside it feels like bzzz…
He buzzed very, very quietly:
— Bzzz… and I want to… well… push. Like — BAM!
He gave the pillow a little shove.
— And my quills do it on their own… like this, — Spike puffed himself up and then shrank at once. — Like a fir tree. They suddenly become big and prickly. Mom sat down beside him. She placed her paw on his soft tummy.
— I know, sweetheart, — she said. — It happens to everyone.
They were quiet for a little while.
— Do you want to try one thing? — Mom asked.
Spike shrugged with an indifferent look: — Okay.
— First you need to curl up, really, really tight. As if you were a tiny little ball. Like this.
Mom curled herself into a tight little ball.
Spike squeezed his eyes shut too. He clenched his paws. He even pressed his teeth together so hard that his body trembled from the strain.
— Mm-hmm… — Spike could not speak because of the tension.
— Hold the tension just a little longer… as long as you can.
Spike held on. It was very interesting!
— Now breathe out, — Mom whispered.
Spike breathed out sharply:
— Fffoo-oo-oo…
His paws unclenched on their own, and all the prickly thoughts went away.
— Well? — Mom asked.
Spike listened to himself.
— It feels quieter… as if the thunderstorm inside me has stopped rumbling.
He touched his tummy.
— And it feels good here. I don’t want to hit anyone anymore. My tummy is kind again!
— If a storm starts inside you again, — Mom said, — you can do it again like this — as many times as you want.
Spike smiled. What a lovely mom he had! She worried a lot, but she was always there. Then he suddenly asked:
— But what if they… never ask me again?
Mom leaned a little closer:
— Then you can say it to them yourself. Calmly. And not in a prickly voice.
Spike tried in a whisper:
— Can I… join you?
At first it was hard — he could barely squeeze the words out, as if that nasty pine cone were sitting in his mouth again. But he repeated it again and again. He practised! And each time he got better at it.
The little hedgehog lay down on his side. Curled up again. Breathed out. Uncurled.
— Fffoo-oo…
The moss rustled beneath him. Dad and Mom waited patiently.
Spike repeated it again. And again. Then he stopped. He lay very, very still. It was calm inside his tummy. As if there were a little lake there, and not a single wave on it.
He put his paw on his tummy and fell asleep with a smile.
7. Friend or grump? Peace or pout?
The next morning was cool. Autumn was coming. In winter, hedgehogs slept, and Spike had to hurry: no matter what, he had to make friends before then!
The little hedgehog walked toward the clearing slowly and unwillingly. Sometimes he stopped. He kicked a pebble. In his paws he carried a bucket of chestnuts — smooth and shiny. He had brought them from the old forest. There were none like that here!
When Spike came out to the oak, a few little ones were already playing there. As soon as they saw Spike, everyone fell silent. The little bunny stepped back and hid behind the little badger. The bear cub frowned. The little fox snorted angrily.
Spike felt his blood begin to boil — that’s what people say when someone gets very angry.
He wanted to shout right away: — What are you staring at?!
But he breathed in and breathed out. Then once more.
His quills dropped by themselves and stopped bristling. The little animals’ faces immediately seemed friendlier.
Spike walked over to the sandbox. There, just like yesterday, the raccoon was building a tower. But today things were not going well for him — the sand kept sliding sideways, and the tower leaned as if it had eaten a sour apple.
Spike stopped beside him. The sand felt cool on his paws.
— Hi, — he said quietly.
The raccoon did not answer and snorted angrily. He covered the tower with his paws. But Spike behaved peacefully, and at last the raccoon replied: — Hi…
Spike scratched his side awkwardly with his paw: — You know… Yesterday I…
He fell silent, unable to find the words. Then he added:
— It all came out kind of… wrong. I didn’t want to hurt anyone… I really didn’t!
The little ones were quiet. Spike held out a chestnut.
— Here. It’s a chestnut. Look how shiny it is! We could put it here, on the tower. It would look like a porcini mushroom!
The raccoon looked at the chestnut. Then he looked at Spike.
Spike stood there without pushing. He only moved his paw a little and lowered his head shyly. — All right, — grumbled the raccoon. — Go on then. But no breaking anything. — I won’t, — Spike agreed at once and even nodded.
And they began building together. At first, both of them felt awkward. Then it became more fun. Sand poured down. The tower grew. They decorated it with chestnuts and seashells. It looked wonderful!
A little fox ran past. When she saw the tall beautiful tower, she stopped: — What’s this you’ve got here? — A tower, — said the raccoon.
The little fox came closer: — Oh, how pretty! It looks real. Can I help too? — Just a little bit, — grumbled the raccoon.
Then the little bunny came. Then the bear cub. And finally a big company gathered. They all built together, and the castle turned out so big that all the toys the little ones had brought that day fit inside: toy soldiers, a doll, and a wooden little train. Even the little bunny’s favourite ball lay proudly right in the middle.
When Mom arrived, Spike ran up to her cheerfully. His little heart fluttered with joy like a happy bird.
— Mom! — he said. — Mommy, meet them: these are my friends!
And everyone laughed happily.
From then on, Spike was never prickly with his friends. He gladly went to the forest school, ran and laughed with everyone else. And if a fire ever started flaring up inside him, he breathed the way his mom had taught him. And it passed.
