ESL Blogs

This is my first short story...

A Hedgehog’s Letter
 
One Sunday morning, a hedgehog went for walking. In the west of a forest, are there a lot of apple trees. It is the hedgehog's favorite place. When the hedgehog came close to the oldest tree in the forest, he noticed that something was different than usual. The moment he is about to ask "What's going on?" voices come from behind him.
 
"Is it true that the honeybees are leaving our forest?" a young apple tree asks its mother. "Yes. Next Sunday." the mother sighed. "Then, what are we going to do? We can bloom flowers, but without their help, can't we have many delicious apples on the branches in fall, can we? The hedgehog's heart starts beating rapidly. "What are they talking about? Did they say the honeybees were leaving this forest?"
 
There is a nice honeybee with whom the hedgehog likes talking. The honeybee knows much about the outside world of the forest. The hedgehog was excited by the honeybee's story about a waterfall and a lake which he has never seen before. "The waterfall looks like a river rushing down vertically from the top of a cliff? Great! I wish I could see the shining surface of the lake reflecting the orange light of the sun which is setting on the edge of a mountain!!" The honeybee has told a lot of amazing stories to the hedgehog. He is the best friend for the hedgehog.
 
"There seem to be another forest in the south. I guess the honeybees are going to make their new home there. We'll miss them." the old apple tree said in his deep voice. The hedgehog thought gazing at the vast horizon: If the honeybees have decided to do that, it must be the best way for them. I'll miss my best friend, but if he can get a better life in the new forest, I feel happy about it as much as he does. Behave as usual in front of apple trees and the honeybee.
 
The next day, the hedgehog headed to his favorite place. "Hi, how are you doing?" he said to the old apple tree smiling. I'm okay, the hedgehog said to himself in his mind. However, it took only five minutes before he realized that he was completely wrong. The hedgehog saw the honeybee flying between apple trees. His best friend is talking and laughing with them without noticing him. The hedgehog stands still looking at his friends back. He doesn't know what to say to the honeybee.
 
"How far is the new forest from here? What's it like? What kinds of animals live there?" He wonders if he should ask those kinds of questions as he has done many times. A moment later, the hedgehog asks himself, "For what? That doesn't make any difference. He's leaving soon and I will never see him again." The hedgehog turns around and goes back to his house.
The hedgehog has been staying at home since Tuesday because he doesn't know which is true: As his friend, am I happy about the honeybee starting his new life? Or I'm just so scared about losing my best friend? He has been thinking about this question again and again and again, but he hasn't found out the answer yet. He looks up the moon in the dark sky through a window and says in his little voice. “Should I go to see him leaving this forest tomorrow morning?  I will not be able to say anything when I see him face to face. Even making a smile would be difficult. What should I do?”
 
The hedgehog walks up to his old wooden desk. He takes a pen and a piece of letter paper from the drawer. He is not sure what he is going to write. The only thing that he knows is there is something he hasn’t told the honeybee yet.
 
Honeybee
 
Do you remember last year’s Halloween party? Your costume was the grandma from Little Red Riding-Hood. I wore my first hand-made costume and went for the party, but actually I was so scared about responses that I would get from others. When I went through the door, I couldn’t stop my legs trembling under the costume. I was sitting on a chair by myself away from others when you noticed me and said, “You’re awesome! Did you make it?” Do you know how much that made me happy? It’s like enormous big hands take me from the bottom of a deep hole and then put me into a warm peaceful light.
Thank you so much.
 
 
The hedgehog put his pen on the desk and then closed his eyes slowly. The sun has just started rising from the eastern sky.