Fred could imagine Ernie and Emma rolling down the hill. You see, if echidnas find themselves
in danger, they have two ways of getting out of trouble. First, if another animal is threatening them,
they can lift up their quills so that nothing or no one can get close to them and hurt them. Perhaps a
bit like when children get angry, it sends a message that clearly says, “Back off or else.”
The second thing echidnas do if they’re scared looks pretty funny to someone who is watching.
They roll themselves up like a ball so that if they are near a little hill or incline they roll down to get
away from danger. This is how they got to Fred’s house—like a couple of beach balls rolling down
from the high country. Fred thought it must be a fun way to get from one place to another.
“Even in our burrow,” continued Ernie, “it was freezing cold.”
Emma added, “When I tried to get close to him, his prickles stuck up. If only we could cuddle
together, we would probably keep each other warm during the night.”
“So, we thought we’d come down and visit you,” said Ernie. “Your home in the hole in the wall
in the corner of the house is nice and snug and not only that, you are also a good friend. We hoped
that you might be able to tell us what to do to solve our problem.”
It was still early in the morning, and Fred needed to think a while before he answered, so he of-
fered Ernie and Emma some toasted cheese sandwiches for breakfast. They didn’t feel as fond of
toasted cheese sandwiches as Fred did, so they politely declined, saying they would go sniffing around
outside for their own food when the day got a bit warmer. However, they did accept his offer of a
warming cup of hot chocolate.
“The first thing it seems to me,” said Fred, “is that your bristles serve the real function to help
protect you from bigger animals that might set on you and hurt you. That is helpful if a wild dog or
soaring eagle begins to think you might make a tempting meal for them. It is important to have them
if you want to survive, but how often are you actually under threat like that?” he asked.
Ernie and Emma turned toward each other and shrugged, “Not very often, really,” said Ernie.
“And while it is important to have your bristles standing up sometimes,” said Fred, “there are a
lot of times that you don’t need them. I’m just a little mouse and know there is no way I could hurt
you, but your bristles are standing up like arrows sticking pointy-end-out of a target. As a result, I
keep a lot farther away from you than I really want to... and when I would love to give you a hug.
“While some times and in some situations,” he continued, “it might be helpful to be bristly, it’s
not helpful to be so prickly all the time in all places. Maybe you could try to just let your guard down
for a little and relax those bristles while you are safely in my home. Nothing or no one is going to
hurt you here.”
Ernie and Emma tried. They tried hard. They even tried really hard, but their bristles had been
sticking up for so long that it was exactly what they kept doing.
“I don’t know what else to do,” said Ernie. “It feels like this is just what I have always done.”
“Close your eyes for a moment,” said Fred, “and think that a big lion is coming to eat you.”
“But there are no lions in this country,” objected Ernie.
“All right then, close your eyes and think about a ferocious, hungry-looking dog, slowly com-
ing toward you.”
As Ernie and Emma closed their eyes, their bristles that were already sticking up became even
more upright.
“Good,” said Fred. “Now think of a safe place or safe time, maybe down in your own burrow
on a pleasant day when you’ve just had a nice meal and can think of relaxing or having a little siesta.”
MANAGING RELATIONSHIPSManaging Relationships 113