EASY-CHAIR MEMORIES 147 



and so we surveyed each other for a short time. 

 Its little eyes were bright ; its snout like that 

 of a little baby pig; its small ears erect and 

 alert ; its shape quite elegant and graceful, of 

 an oblong form, somewhat rounded off towards 

 the tail, which was only an apology for a tail ; 

 its brown back was smooth and glossy, the 

 hair, or what looked like hair, lying flat on the 

 skin. 



"Altogether it struck me as being a very 

 pretty, innocent little creature. It was evi- 

 dently young, and quite unacquainted with the 

 wicked ways of the world. It looked up to 

 me, as if to say, ' Well ! are you going to get 

 out of my way, or must I get out of yours ? ' 

 We were at a standstill. After waiting and 

 looking at each other for a minute or two, I 

 was the first to make amove; I just touched 

 the end of its funny little nose with the point 

 of my walking-stick, when, presto I my pretty 

 little animal had disappeared, and in its place 

 was a round ball, its covering no longer smooth 

 and flat, but prickled all over with short spines, 

 like c quills upon the fretful porcupine/ and I 

 knew it was Erinaceus Europceus, sometimes 

 called a hedgehog, and sometimes an urchin. 



