The Porcupine's Polka

In the greenwood, animals are getting ready for a grand dance competition. Squirrels string berry necklaces, mice wear leaf hats, and birds tie ribbons to twigs. Everyone is excited except Pip, a small porcupine who watches from behind a fern. Pip loves music and dancing, and he has tied a little red bow tie around his neck for the occasion. But whenever he approaches the others, they scurry away, afraid his long, cream-tipped quills might poke them. His quills droop, and his bow tie seems to sag as he sits down with a sigh.

Then Hazel the rabbit, tall and lanky with a yellow scarf and a flower behind one ear, notices Pip sitting alone. Instead of turning away, she hops around him and suggests that spiky can be fun. Together they practice behind the old oak tree, stretching wide and leaving plenty of room for his quills, and they invent a bouncy new dance they call the Porcupine Polka. On the day of the competition, Pip's legs tremble as he and Hazel step into the clearing, but with Hazel's encouragement he twirls and spins, his quills fanning out like a beautiful cape, and the crowd begins to tap its feet and cheer. This gentle woodland tale by Ebru Mina TOMURCUK is about finding a partner who sees what makes you different as a strength, and about the creativity that comes when there is room for everyone. Young readers who have ever felt left out, and the grown-ups who read with them, will enjoy Pip and Hazel's lively polka and its warm, encouraging message. The tale can be read on Onlinemasal Com.Tr.