THE HEDGEHOG WHO WANTED TO MAKE FRIENDS

In a big, green forest, where the wind gently swayed the leaves and the sun peeked through the branches, there lived a little hedgehog named Max. Max was different from the other animals in the forest. He always walked alone, playing with sticks and leaves, and when other little animals ran up to him, inviting him to play, he would take a step back and quickly hide in the bushes.
Max wasn’t angry or unfriendly. He was just afraid. What if they laughed at him? What if he said something wrong? What if they didn’t like him?
One day, while Max was building a tiny house out of leaves, a cheerful squirrel named Lily ran up to him.
"Hey, Max! What are you doing?" she asked, her fluffy tail twitching.
Max lowered his eyes and mumbled, "Just playing..."
Lily smiled, "Can I join you?"
Max felt his paws grow cold. He wanted to say yes, but the words stuck in his throat. Instead, he quietly shook his head and turned away. Lily looked at him for a moment, then just said, "Okay," and ran off.
Max sighed with relief but also felt a strange emptiness in his chest. He liked being alone, but sometimes... sometimes he wished he could run and play with the others too.
That evening, Max sat by a small pond, looking at his reflection in the water.
"Why is it so hard to make friends?" he whispered.
At that moment, a wise old frog, who had been resting on a lily pad nearby, croaked, "Maybe because you don’t give them a chance?"
Max jumped in surprise. He hadn’t noticed the frog.
"I... I don’t know how," Max admitted.
"Friendship starts with small steps," the frog said. "A smile, a simple word. Try it. You might be surprised."
The next morning, Max walked through the forest and saw Lily and a group of animals playing tag. He stopped, watching them from behind a tree.
Suddenly, Lily tripped and fell. The other animals ran past her, still caught up in the game, but Max felt something inside him push him forward. He took a deep breath, stepped out, and walked up to her.
"Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly.
Lily looked up at him in surprise and then smiled. "Yeah, just a little fall."
Max hesitated, then reached out a paw. Lily took it, and he helped her up.
"Thanks, Max!" she said cheerfully. "Do you want to play with us?"
Max’s heart pounded. He looked at the laughing animals, at Lily’s kind face, and then, gathering all his courage, he nodded.
And so, for the first time, Max played not alone, but with friends. He still felt a little shy, but he also felt happy. Because now he knew—making friends wasn’t as scary as he had thought. It just took a little courage and a small step forward.