TALE

Bramble and the Empty Cart

Bramble is a small hedgehog, and market day is already over. He rides home in the dusk on the cart beside Clover, the old cart horse, and then puts away the three things nobody bought: the cheese on its stone, the basket on its hook, the spoon in its crock. Last of all comes the empty cart itself, walked up on its end with its shafts in the sky.

Market day was over. The cart was going home. It came up the lane between the fields. It was nearly dark. The wheels went turkit-turkit, turkit-turkit. An old horse pulled the cart. She walked between its two long wooden poles. Her name was Clover. She was brown, with a pale mane. Up on the seat sat a small hedgehog in a blue apron. His name was Bramble. He held the reins loosely, and let Clover walk as slowly as she liked.

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