Heather, Feather, & Kumquat and the Treasure of a Teachable Heart

Book excerpt: Heather, Feather, and Kumquat are three little hedgehog princesses born to King Hedgric and Queen Cassia. Their birth is welcomed with great joy throughout the kingdom, and to commemorate the event, each infant is presented with a royal gemstone set in a crown and mounted above her cradle. Time goes on, and as the girls grow up, they begin to take all their comfort and privilege as an entitlement. The life of a princess has, all too quickly, become about self and possessions. This worsening behavior has not been lost on Dad and Mom. But as king and queen, Hedgric and Cassia have allowed their focus to become ever more about public duty and governing well. They reason that so many livelihoods depend on them, whereas the girls are surrounded constantly by people who love them and genuinely enjoy caring for their every need. It will take a wake-up call, but this mind-set will not distract them forever; it has only delayed the inevitable! While the king and queen are away on a long-awaited trip, things back at home come to a boiling point. Upon the parents return, its discovered that valuable items have gone missing, and unfortunately, the girls rush to place the blame on their visiting cousins. As revealed early in the story, issues already exist within the family, which have been pushed aside even longer. These two matters of contention will ultimately collide head-on! King Hedgric and Queen Cassia are finally determined to set things right on both counts and orchestrate a series of teaching moments, first aimed directly at the girls. What results is a paradigm shift for everyone involved!