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#FallWritingFrenzy

Hedgehog in the autumn leaves

A Prickle of Prehistory – #FallWritingFrenzy

This is my third year participating in Fall Writing Frenzy, hosted by Kaitlyn Sanchez, Lydia Ludikis, and Ebony Mudd. (You can read all about this year’s contest here.) The challenge is to write a 200-word or less Fall-themed kidlit story based on one of the photographs chosen for the contest.

My previous entries were what felt like a section from a middle grade fantasy quest novel, The Road Ahead, and a counting board book, Hush! Hammock. But this year I finally found an image that let me bring my “geeking out archaeology” vibe to the fall. (Isn’t it just the cutest?) Stick around past the story for some amazing ancient hedgehog images too!

Hedgehog in fall leaves
Credit: Unsplash via Piotr Łaskawski

A Prickle of Prehistory: 
the uncommon legacy of the common hedgehog

(c) Katie McEnaney, 2024
Word count: 200

Psst… hey, you?

Not up there. Down here.

Hedgehogs are easily overlooked—it’s one of our many talents—but we have been a big deal for thousands of years. Curl up close—not too close—and I’ll tell you our tale.

Hedgehogs were famous across the ancient world. In Egypt we warded off evil. A carved hedgehog necklace kept you safe. Hedgehog rattles scared off spirits.

We predicted fall weather. When the Egyptian summer sun beat down, we would dig in and sleep underground. Weeks later we would reappear, right as the weather cooled. Don’t tell the groundhogs, but we may have been the first forecasters.

If you start looking for ancient hedgehogs, you will find us everywhere. We were carved out of stone and sculpted out of clay. We were blown out of glass and cast in gold. 

One hedgehog statue even had its own wheeled cart to ride. Maybe it was a beloved toy. Maybe it was a mysterious religious ceremony. We’ll keep that secret to ourselves.

We may be little, but we are not insignificant. We are thousands of years of history wrapped up in one small, spiky bundle. Treat us well, and maybe we will bring you good luck too!

Ancient Hedgehogs

I had seen a lot of these amazing hedgehogs at one time or another, but it was so fun to peruse them again for this story! I had a hard time narrowing it down to just a few.

© The Trustees of the British Museum
Public Domain, The Met
(c) National Museums Scotland
(c) Brooklyn Museum
(c) Museé du Louvre
(c) Brooklyn Museum

I’d love to hear which is your favorite!

Hush! Hammock #FallWritingFrenzy

This is my second year participating in Kaitlyn Sanchez’s Fall Writing Frenzy. (You can read all about this year’s contest here.) The challenge is to write a 200-word or less Fall-themed kidlit story based on one of the photographs chosen for the contest. Last year I wrote what felt like a section from a middle grade fantasy quest novel, The Road Ahead. It was a fun departure for me, so I was excited to see what this year’s images would inspire.

Because I love writing stories set in the deep past, I prefer images without people or obviously-modern scenes. That eliminated most of the photographs for this year, so instead I went more for vibes and settled on this image. I hope you enjoy my hammock-inspired board book!

Hush! Hammock

By: Katie McEnaney (c) 2023. 66 words.

One Grandpa sleeping. Sway, sway, snore!
Two legs tiptoeing. Hush, hush, creep!
Three bees flying. Buzz, buzz, look!
Four flowers swaying. Swish, swish, wow!  
Five fingers plucking. Grab, grab, sniff!
Six legs landing. Tap, tap, sip!
Seven seconds passing. Stare, stare, sting!
Eight tears falling. Ouch, ouch, owieeeeee!
Nine hugs given. Squeeze, squeeze, kiss.
Ten hammock pushes. Sway, sway, snore!
One toddler sleeping. Hush, hush… sleep!

The Road Ahead #FallWritingFrenzy

It’s #FallWritingFrenzy season! Thanks so much to co-hosts Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez and Lydia Lukidis, plus guest judge Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, and thank you to all the incredible prize donors. The challenge was to write a kidlit story in 200 words or less, inspired by one of 14 fall-themed images. I chose the image below.

Fall- Credit: John Mccann for Unsplash

The Road Ahead

By: Katie McEnaney

The only path was forward. Alone. He knew the headmistress was lying about his arrival at the orphanage. This final quest would reveal the truth. 

Aylmer slipped away from the camp. Early fog rose from the marshes, obscuring him from view. He crept carefully, looking for the path his heart told him was nearby.

Aylmer had traveled many paths before, following the deep longing in his soul, but they were never right. Flat and endless ones, pin-straight across the plains. Rocky and winding ones, meandering through mountains. Paths so thin they could barely be seen, and thoroughfares so wide two teams of oxen could pass without noticing each other. 

Nothing prepared him for this. The fog lifted, and a glow emerged from the forest ahead. 

Bending trees framed a canopy above, while leaves of all hues made a carpet. The wind carried faint echoes of memories. His footfalls were a whispered crunch. 

Aylmer began to run as he saw the cottage; windows aglow just like in his dreams. 

The door opened. Her eyes stared back; their hazel shine was like looking into a mirror. “Mother? I’ve found you at last!” Her arms opened wide. The only path was forward. 

Together.

Read more about #FallWritingFrenzy and view the other entries here.