High-Jinks the Hedgehog nosed a chestnut out of the mulch and bit into it, despite its age and moldy taste, munching it quickly, but careful to leave a piece for his buddy, Skimp the Shrew. The pickings in early spring are sparse. Skimp nodded gratefully at him: a moldy chestnut was better than none.

“The winter was a hard one. Not much forage is left.” Skimp chattered in his high voice, after finished the chestnut. He nosed through the mulch, looking for seeds.

High-Jinks nodded his head and climbed up on a rock to see if he could find any other chestnuts.

When Queen Drythorn of the Sidhe flashed past him, he was grumpy and refused to bow. Unfortunately for him, Queen Drythorn was even grumpier and turned him to stone on the spot. Skimp hid behind the rock and escaped notice. All of the flowers bowed their heads until the Queen swept past, headed for Mermaid Caves. Skimp ran off as soon as the Queen was out of sight.

The flowers whispered to each other. Was Skimp going for help? Would he summon the Mushroom Trolls of Safire Rock? Could the trolls reverse a spell of Queen Drythorn?

“Skimp is headed for his burrow and won’t be out for days,” one flower guessed, sadly.

“No!” asserted another, “He’ll be back!”

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham