# The Hedgehog explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Saki.

## What happens

At a Rectory garden party, a group of young people play tennis under the critical gaze of four ladies, including the quarrelsome Mrs. Dole and Mrs. Hatch-Mallard. The conversation turns to ghosts at Exwood, the house Mrs. Norbury rents from Mrs. Hatch-Mallard. Mrs. Norbury's guest, Ada Bleek, a clairvoyant, hopes to see a ghost. Despite the Norburys' efforts to steer her toward the ghost of Mrs. Hatch-Mallard's uncle, Ada instead sees a monstrous white hedgehog, which she believes is the ghost of Nicholas Herison. To prevent her from reporting it, Hugo Norbury claims it is a stuffed albino hedgehog used as a prank, thus preserving the lease and ending Ada's friendship.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Moral Facade

The Norburys pretend to accommodate their guest's interests while secretly manipulating her to avoid offending their landlord.

### The Absurdity of Social Rituals

The garden party's rigid traditions, including the seating of critical ladies and the obsession with social standing, highlight the absurdity of such rituals.

## Character check-ins

### Nicholas Herison

Mentioned as the ghost of an old miser hung in 1763, appearing as a white hedgehog.

### Hugo Norbury

Devises the lie about the stuffed albino hedgehog to prevent Ada Bleek from reporting her ghost sighting.

## Key lines

> What a singularly unbecoming way Eva Jonelet has taken to doing her hair in

Eva Jonelet's hairstyle is very unflattering.

_Mrs. Hatch-Mallard criticizes Eva's appearance, reflecting the social scrutiny at the party._

> I expect she'll see the unhappy Lady Cullumpton, the most famous of all the Exwood ghosts

I anticipate she will encounter the well-known ghost of Lady Cullumpton at Exwood.

_Mrs. Dole asserts the primacy of the Cullumpton ghost, leading to a dispute with Mrs. Hatch-Mallard._

> It was very wicked of us, Miss Bleek, but it would be a shame to let it go further. That white hedgehog is an old joke of ours; stuffed albino hedgehog, you know

We played a trick on you; that white hedgehog is a stuffed albino hedgehog we use as a prank.

_Hugo Norbury fabricates a story to prevent Ada from reporting her ghost sighting and jeopardizing their lease._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-hedgehog
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters