Piikki was a porcupine.

He lived in a great big tree with little tiny leaves.

These little leaves would get stuck on his quills as he trundled through the tree, nibbling on the bark and humming. All his friends who passed by would say “Oh Piikki!” and help him unstick them.

Piikki loved to go to parties. He loved the cake, the ice cream, the presents, the wrapping paper, and the decorations; but most of all, Piikki loved balloons. Piikki loved large balloons and small balloons; red and purple and yellow balloons; balloons with and without decorations; and all other types of balloons.

But Piikki had a problem. Whenever he would bring balloons to a party, the balloons would get too close to his quills and pop, scaring himself and everyone around him. The balloons would no longer be big and beautiful. Now they were wrinkled and flat.

One day, Piikki’s friend Tikka the Woodpecker had a birthday. All the creatures of the forest decided to throw a surprise party for him. They brought cake, presents, ice cream, and decorations to a clear meadow and set up for the party.

Piikki brought the most beautiful balloons he could find: big round balloons that were red and black and white, Tikka’s favorite colors.

But when he got to the meadow, a breeze came and pushed the balloons onto Piikki’s quills.

POP!

“Oh Piikki!” everyone said and helped him unstick the balloons.

They weren’t big and beautiful anymore - they were wrinkled and flat.

“Maybe we can get more balloons before Tikka gets here,” the animals cried. But Tikka had heard the balloons pop and came to investigate. The surprise party was spoiled.

Piikki was so sad that he had spoiled the surprise party for his friend that he trundled away back to his tree, alone, and curled up in the crook of a branch. “No one will want me to come to their parties anymore,” he said to himself. “My quills are too spiky and cause too many problems.” He was so sad he didn’t even feel like humming.

But suddenly, through the tiny leaves, Piikki saw Tikka and his friends coming. They were carrying something. They called out to Piikki, “Piikki, come down! We have something for you!”

“No,” said Piikki, “I ruined the party. You don’t want me to come down - my quills are just too spiky.”                            

“Oh, Piikki!” the animals cried, “Please come down! You can’t ruin these!”

Piikki slowly came down of the tree. When he saw what his friends had, he gasped -

Beautiful silver balloons!

“You can’t pop these balloons, Piikki,” Tikka said. “They are too strong to be popped even by your sharp quills! Now, please come to my party? I want you to be there.”

Piikki was so happy. “Yes, I will come to your party, and I will bring these beautiful balloons to help celebrate!” Piikki said, and they all went to the meadow for the party.