One afternoon, something on the Internet caught my eye: a tiny hedgehog (刺猬) held by a big hand. The post (帖子) read: "HELP! My hedgehog abandoned her two babies, and I cannot raise both of them. Good home with experience needed!"
I had no experience with baby hedgehogs. I was an animal person and had raised cats, dogs, and birds. But this tiny animal was new to me, and it touched me that he was abandoned, and that maybe I could love him and be the best mom for him.
I wrote the most heartfelt email I could. That was how I found my Louie. True to my word, he was my baby. Louie didn't know he was a hedgehog. He never curled (蜷缩) into a ball, and he liked my two cats, no fear. The cats, however, were afraid of him, as he often moved into the room, running after the cats and blocking my way.
By the time he reached old age, Louie had only three feet. However, he still managed to climb the stairs to visit other animals.
Life has its meaning! Louie needed a good home, and in return, he helped me realize my dream of taking photos of the hedgehog and made it possible for me to show off photos of him and be a good mom. Hedgehogs require lots of patience, trust, and knowledge—but the pay-off (回报) is pretty great.
