Fred and Red have a Picnic

Once upon a time, there was a duck named Fred.

One morning, Fred woke up and decided to go visit his friend Red.

Red was a hedgehog. I don't know if you know what a hedgehog is. They're a spiny rolly little animal, kind of like a porcupine I guess. Red's name was really Mortimer, but everyone called him Red, because of how his quills looked red when the sun shined on them.

Fred headed down to where Red lived in the forest and was pleased to find him.

"Hiya Red, what are you doing today?" asked Fred.

"I'm searching for bugs and berries. I thought I'd have a bug and berry picnic!" replied Red, very pleased with his idea.

"Well that sounds like fun, can I come too?" asked Fred.

"Of course, Fred. You're always fun."

So our two friends, Fred and Red, wandered around the forest, filling a basket with bugs and berries. They found strawberries, and blueberries, and blackberries, and a lot of different bugs that all had 6 legs.

Once they had enough in their basket, they went and sat in the meadow, opened the basket, and started munching, and crunching, and enjoying their picnic.

After they were done eating, they were so full that they just laid back in the grass and watched the fluffy clouds float by while they enjoyed the sun on the feathers (or fur.)

They spent the whole afternoon doing that - relaxing in the sun, talking about nothing, and watching the clouds.

Finally it started to get dark, and Fred said, "well this was fun, but I should get home."

So they said their goodbyes, and Red said, "we need to do this again some time. I had a good day."

To which, of course, Fred agreed.

Then Fred went home to his nest. He got there just as the sun set, and it was dark and quiet. He took his ducky head, and tucked it under his ducky wing, and went asleep until the morning, dreaming of Red and clouds and bugs and berries.