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They were going up and up for what seem like forever. Piggy still had his eyes closed, but when he sensed Harmon slowing down, he opened one eye just a crack and saw that they were approaching a big, flat field near the top of a mountain. With a sickening swoop, Harmon deposited him surprisingly gently onto soft grass. Piggy unrolled himself and stretched out all four legs and every quill. He went to join his two companions, who were also stretching out after the long flight. The captain of their unit stepped onto a nearby log and cleared his throat. "The purpose of today's exercise is to learn the basics of rolling. Hedgehogs are unique in this ability, but rolling with precision takes practice. Hedgehog armaments are non-lethal weapons, used primarily as distractors, to disrupt enemy ranks. The roll is maximally effective if your quills are pointed backward during the rolling phase and, at the last minute, as you give your body a quick twist, you point your quills forward for the moment of impact. At this speed and rotation, quills won't embed in the enemy, but they will inflict a nasty enough scratch that the troops toward which you are rolling will do everything they can to avoid you. Today, each tea
m will learn just the Release-And-Roll. This field is perfect, since the grass is short and there are very few bumps and rocks. Hogs, approach your partner and turn so you are facing away. Roll up so your front legs are close enough to your partner's legs to grasp each one just above the talons. You hold on only long enough for him to get airborne. He can hold onto your wrists with a grip that is much more secure than you would be able to maintain by yourself. Hawks, you will fly toward that large pine tree at the north end of the field; then circle around and fly back toward this spot. Make your release about three inches from the ground, opposite this log. Hogs, to avoid injury, maintain your roll-up until you have come to a complete stop. I will go first, with my partner Willy, so you can watch. Then I want you to try it. Here we go.........---------------------------------------------
I came out of my reverie by hearing the mail car stop in front of the mail box. I was curious to know more about these "hedgehog bombs," but it was going to have to wait.
Photo from: www.peteducation.com
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