Under The Knife

Squeaky Hedgehog made another appearance during evening playtime. I think Star, Tim, and Winnie deserve one more kudos. Not only is this a wonderfully entertaining toy, but it has been the muse for 2 blog entries.

You'll recall that Squeaky Hedgehog was an assemble-it-yourself kind of toy. I'm not sure assembly is really the right word, though. Exactly how difficult is it to put stuffing and two squeakers into a toy and velcro it shut? Apparently, it does take some skill. While Boss Lady had managed to complete the necessary steps, we noticed during this play session that the squeakers were not much in evidence. Boss Lady finally decided we might have to do something about the missing squeakers. She took Squeaky Hedgehog from me and palpated his abdomen. No squeakers. She gently felt his head. No squeakers. She checked his anal glands. Two squeakers. What are the squeakers doing in his butt?! Don't you know anything about squeakers, I asked her. Squeakers belong in the stomach, not the butt. You need to fix this immediately.

Boss Lady agreed to perform immediate surgery to correct the problem. She pulled apart the velcro and stuck 2 fingers inside. She poked. She prodded. She accidentally squeaked one of the squeakers. Each time she managed to get one squeaker in place, it would move while she was trying to fix the other squeaker. I have to tell you, I was worried about my beloved Squeaky Hedgehog. I paced in front of her. I whined. I even licked Squeaky Hedgehog. I just couldn't bear the stress. My poor Squeaky Hedgehog.

It was touch and go for a few moments, when some of the stuffing and one of the squeakers slipped completely out of Squeaky Hedgehog. In the end, though, everything was just fine. Both squeakers were properly positioned in Squeaky Hedgehog's belly. The next time I fetched Squeaky Hedgehog, I was very pleased to find that he squeaked pleasantly when I squished him round the middle.

Next time I get a stuff-it-yourself kind of toy, I'll make sure to find someone qualified to assemble it properly.