A story retold from one of the Aesop fables.
Five minute story for beginning readers.
Once upon a time, in a cozy little cave, lived a family of friendly snakes. They loved to slither and slide and cuddle up together for nice long naps. One day, a porcupine named Quilliam came along.
The porcupine was in a pickle! His hundreds of pin-sharp quills made it difficult to get close to others. He hoped his luck had changed when he saw the warm and inviting cave.
“Helloooo in there!” Quilliam called. “Mind if a porcupine crashes for a while? It’s mighty lonely out here.”
The snakes, being kind creatures, poked their heads out. One look at Percy’s quills made them hesitate, but wanting to be hospitable, they agreed. โWhy, of course! We’ve got plenty of room.”
Well, let’s just say “plenty of room” was a bit of a stretch. Little did they know Quilliam had a peculiar habit. He loved to dance around in his sleep, wiggling and jiggling his quills to the rhythm of his dreams. Quilliam’s prickly pajama party was a bit much. He backflipped, bumped and poked. “Ouch!” “Oof!” “Ouchie!” echoed in the cave. The snakes tried to be polite, but their scales were starting to tingle.
Quilliam, could you please be careful with your quills?” they asked politely.
“Oh, sorry about that,” Quilliam replied. “But this is just how I sleep. You’ll get used to it!โ
The snakes tried a more direct approach, โPerhapsโฆmaybeโฆthis isn’t the best place for you? Your quills are, um, rather remarkable.”
“Nonsense, friend! I’m quite comfy here, thanks. But if you don’t like it, you’re welcome to leave!”
So, as a resolution to this prickly situation, the snakes, with heavy hearts and sore scales, packed their bags and slithered off to find a new home. And Quilliam? Well, he had the whole cave to himself, free to dance and prance with his quills to his heart’s content.
The moral of the story? Always be careful what you agree to, or you might end up getting the point!
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