Horace the hedgehog was having a very good day. He’d been sniffing and snuffling through the forest, and he’d found the most wonderful patch of bright red berries! They were plump and juicy, and smelled like sunshine and sweet dreams. “These are the best berries *ever*!” he squeaked happily, already imagining how delicious they would be.
He began to gather them, carefully rolling each berry into a little pile. He rolled and rolled, making the pile bigger and bigger. He didn’t want to leave a single berry behind. He planned to eat them all himself! He thought about how cozy it would be to snuggle in his burrow with a mountain of berries.
Soon, Penelope the porcupine and Finley the fox wandered by. “Ooh, what have you found, Horace?” asked Penelope, her quills twitching with curiosity. Finley’s nose wiggled as he smelled the sweet scent. Horace quickly tried to cover his berry pile with his spiky back, but it was no use. They had seen it!
“Wow, those look amazing!” said Finley. Horace felt a little pang in his tummy. He didn’t *want* to share. These were *his* berries. He’d found them! But Penelope and Finley looked so hopeful. Penelope said, “We haven’t found any berries all day. We were hoping for a little treat.”
Horace remembered how sad he felt when he couldn’t find any tasty snacks. He thought about how much fun he had playing hide-and-seek with Penelope and Finley yesterday. He took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said, a little shyly. “You can have some.”
Penelope and Finley’s faces lit up. “Really?” asked Finley. Horace nodded and carefully pushed a handful of berries towards them. They each took a few, and their eyes widened with delight. “These *are* the best berries ever!” exclaimed Penelope.
As they all sat together, munching on the berries, Horace realized something amazing. The berries tasted even sweeter when he was sharing them with his friends! He laughed as Finley told a funny joke, and Penelope showed off her newest collection of shiny pebbles.
He realized that having a big pile of berries all to himself wasn’t nearly as fun as sharing them with friends. The sunshine seemed brighter, the forest smelled sweeter, and his tummy felt warmer. He learned that day that kindness and generosity make everything better.
When it was time for Penelope and Finley to go home, Horace waved goodbye, feeling happy and content. He still had plenty of berries left, but now he knew the best part of finding a treasure wasn’t keeping it all for himself, but sharing it with those he cared about. And that, thought Horace, was a very sweet feeling indeed.