Once upon a time, a hedgehog family lived in a garden...

Maudlin Street was quiet except for a few pub crawlers on the weekend. But one Thursday morning about 2:00 a.m., we were awakened by ferocious barking that didn’t pause for almost an hour, coming from the yard next door. I had never heard such barking; the dog sounded desperate, panicked, as if he or his owner were being attacked. Ron trotted outside in his pajamas to find out what was going on, but he couldn’t see above the neighbor’s fence. He began clapping and shouting, hoping at least the owner would respond. We feared something criminal and were about to go for the police, when the neighbor’s light finally went on. Not long afterward the barking ceased.

The dog began yelping again the next night, but the noise was more intermittent and lasted for a shorter time. Still, we reported the incidents to our landlord Sean, who spoke to his neighbor, who promised it would stop. We heard barking a couple of other nights, but at a much lower volume.

A week later Sean called to report he’d heard from neighbor Joe, who had gotten to the root of the problem. “We have a family of hedgehogs at the bottom of the garden,” said Sean. “And of course the dog went ballistic over it.” In a half hour he appeared at the door with a pet carrier, the size you’d use for a cat, complete with a little towel dusted with cat hair.

Now it just so happens that for over twelve years, our traveling companion has been Henry, a 4”-tall hedgehog made of wool. As soon as I saw Sean, I presented Henry with a flourish, saying “We’ve found the culprit!” I received the blankest of looks. “Where did you find THAT?” he asked. I tried to explain, but he couldn’t get his mind around a traveling hedgehog (though he wanted his hedgehogs to do just that).

Sean sprinted out to the garden to capture the little family. He returned in roughly three minutes with his empty carrier. “I’ll try again on Sunday – at night, when they come out!”

The next day we had to say goodbye to Sean and the house on Maudlin Street. But we’re already planning our next trip to Ireland.