Ben Faulks - Hedgehugs CBeebies Bedtime Stories

Hello. My name's Ben, and I'm just giving Teddy a big hug,

cos I love big hugs, do you?

Tonight's Bedtime Story is all about two little hedgehogs

who love to hug, but they can't.

So would you like to find out what happens?

Good.

Well, the story is called Hedgehugs by Lucy Tapper and Steve Wilson.

Horace and Hattie are the very best of friends.

There are so many things they like to do together.

They like to search for four-leafed clover in the meadow.

They like to make daisy chains in the shade of the old oak tree.

They like to splash in the puddles on the lawn.

And sometimes they like to have a tea party by the river.

When Horace is busy, Hattie puts on her tutu

and dances in the bluebells.

When Hattie is busy, Horace searches for spiders in the woods.

Horace and Hattie are the very best of friends.

But there's one thing that they cannot do together.

They cannot hug.

They are just too spiky!

They've tried lots of ways to hug.

In winter, they rolled in the snow

until it covered all their prickles,

but the hug was too cold.

In spring, they found some old hollow logs.

Horace and Hattie squeezed inside, but the hug was too bumpy.

In summer, they stuck strawberries on their spikes,

but the hug was too sticky.

In autumn, they covered their prickles in crunchy, crispy leaves.

But the hug was too scratchy.

Poor Horace and Hattie.

Then one day, they found something very interesting.

It was very soft. Was it a hat?

Horace decided to investigate.

He wriggled and jiggled and nibbled.

Then out he popped!

Hattie thought Horace looked very funny.

Then she had an amazing idea.

Hattie looked at Horace. Horace looked at Hattie.

They moved closer and closer and closer until...

..they hugged.

The hug was just right.

Not cold, not scratchy,

not sticky and not bumpy.

It was warm and soft and cuddly and comfy.

A perfect hedgehug!

So, when you see someone wearing odd socks,

or next time one of your socks goes missing, you know what it means.

A hedgehug has happened!

And that was Hedgehugs. Aww.

I felt really happy at the end, when the hedgehogs got to hug.

Did you feel happy too? Yeah.

Well, now, it's time to hug your favourite cuddly toy,

climb under your cosy duvet

and settle down to a peaceful night of sweet dreams, all right?

Night-night.