Humphrey the Hedgehog and the Broken Promise: A Story About Keeping a Promise
Once upon a time, in a sunny meadow filled with buzzing bumblebees and blooming wildflowers, lived a little hedgehog named Humphrey. Humphrey
loved collecting shiny pebbles or rolling himself into a prickly ball. But Humphrey had one problem. He wasn’t good at keeping a promise!
One crisp morning, Humphrey waddled over to his best friend, Penny the playful puppy. Penny was digging a big hole in the soft earth.
‘‘What are you doing, Penny?’’ Humphrey asked, his tiny nose twitching with curiosity.
Penny wagged her tail excitedly. ‘‘I’m digging a secret treasure hole! I’m going to hide all my favorite squeaky toys there.’’
Humphrey’s eyes widened. ‘‘Wow! Can I help?’’
Penny smiled. ‘‘Sure, Humphrey! But there’s one rule – you have to promise never to peek inside after I put the toys in and not to tell anyone about it. It needs to be a secret!’’
Humphrey puffed out his chest. ‘‘Of course, Penny! I promise!’’
Penny finished digging and carefully placed her squeaky toys in the hole. Then, she covered it with leaves and twigs.
Later that day, Humphrey was playing hide-and seek with the other animals. He was getting tired and frustrated.
He just couldn’t find a good hiding spot!
Suddenly, he remembered Penny’s treasure hole. It was perfect! Maybe he could hide there. No one would look there. That’s for sure!
A tiny voice inside Humphrey squeaked, ‘‘But you promised you wouldn’t look!’’
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Can you think of a time you made a promise to a friend, teacher, or family member? Did you keep it? How did it make you and the
other person feel? (This question helps readers connect with a personal experience of keeping a promise and the positive emotions associated with it.)