The other night, my husband almost ran over an Igel who was out foraging at night. Yesterday, completely by coincidence, my daughter bought an Igel as a pet. What is this mysterious little animal? Here’s a hint: just about every European schoolchild has played with one, but most American schoolchildren haven’t even seen one in a zoo. Der Igel is a hedgehog, a cute nocturnal garden visitor who eats bugs and worms. When frightened, it may roll into a ball and try to protect itself with its spikes. From this, the Germans get another word: sich einigeln, which means to retreat, hide away, or take up a defensive posture–like der Igel, the hedgehog.
Clare B. Dunkle
