A loud clatter of wooden blocks spilled from the giant oak tree doorway. Bramble froze on the mossy welcome mat. He wondered when the noisy bustling would stop. Tucking his nose under his paws, he snapped into a tight, prickly sphere.
Soft hopping footsteps circled his spot on the floorboards. "Is that a new brown kickball?" a chipper voice asked. Bramble squeezed his eyes shut and pushed his quills straight up, making sure everyone knew he was definitely not a toy. The footsteps quickly scampered away.
A rustle of dry leaves approached, followed by a wet nose sniffing his spiky back. "Nope, too sharp," mumbled a badger, dragging a squeaky wooden wagon past the door. Bramble shifted his weight just a tiny bit. He peeked one eye open a fraction of an inch to look at the shiny red wagon.
A kind squirrel scampered over and gently tap-tap-tapped on his prickles with a smooth acorn shell. "Do you want to see my favorite spinning top?" she asked. She set a brightly painted wooden acorn on the floor. It whirred with a quiet hum right next to his ear.
Slowly, Bramble uncurled his back and reached out one tiny paw. He poked the spinning toy, watching it wobble and suddenly zip across the floor like a dizzy beetle. A loud, snorting giggle escaped him as he completely forgot to hide. The squirrel laughed too and tossed another wooden top his way.
Side by side, they launched their wooden acorns across the braided classroom rug. "Ready, set, spin!" Bramble called out. He watched the bright colors blur together in a loud, clattering crash. Sitting tall with relaxed quills, he eagerly waited for the next game to begin.
