Shush now, hush now, Prickleback
The moon is bright tonight
You are a little porcupine
But that is quite alright
You are a little porcupine
You must know that by now
The lions have a mighty mane
The tigers they can growl
And aunt giraffe she has a neck
That’s oh so very long
But you are full of prickles dear
Let no one say that’s wrong
Sleep, my little Prickleback
So you’ll grow big and free
So you’ll become a porcupine
Just like your dad and me
The elephant she has a trunk
The cows, how they can bellow
The parrot he has feathers
Red and blue and green and yellow
Miss squirrel has a big red scarf
With a little tuft of grey
But you are full of prickles dear
They’ll serve you well some day
Shush now, hush now, Prickleback
The night is passing by
Sleep, my darling porcupine
The stars are in the sky
The pussycats have whiskers, yes
Through which they often purr
And your old uncle otter
Has a big brown coat of fur
And piggies they are round and pink
And have a tail that’s curled
But you are full of prickles dear
And that’s worth half the world
Yes, you are full of prickles dear
And that’s worth half the world
— Annie M.G. Schmidt