Once upon a time, there was a man and his wife who worked very hard and were decent people.  However, their marriage never gave them any children to bring them joy and help with their work.  Try as they might, they simplly couldn't conceive, and so in desperation they made a wish to the spirits that they might have a child - any child - even if it were just a hedgehog! 

Not long after, the wife miraculously found herself pregnant and soon gave birth to a tiny baby boy.  But the child was not a normal child! He was, as their earnest wish said, half-boy, half-hedgehog.  His parents loved him anyway and named him Hans.  He eventually grew to be a strong young man, but his body was covered in quills and sharp points and he would forever remain a hedgehog.  Other people were not so quick to accept him, calling him a freak of nature, spitting on him and making rude gestures whenever he passed.  Hans knew he could not stay with his parents in the village, so he packed some belongings and told his mother and father that he would leave and venture into the woods so he wouldn't bring them more shame.  The man and his wife understood and let him go, giving him a set of bagpipes as a gift and letting him take some chickens and pigs to help make his home in the woods.  One of the family roosters had grown so large that Hans put a bridle and saddle on it and was able to ride it like a horse, and so he departed with his bagpipes, his livestock, and his mount into the woods to seek his fortune and live out his days.

After many years in the woods, Hans stumbled upon an abandoned castle, overgrown with plans and vines.  He moved in and cleaned up the building, turning it into a wonderous and magical oasis deep in the forest.  Sometimes lost wanderers who had given up hope of ever finding their way out of the woods would suddently find themselves at the foot of the castle.  Hans would treat them fairly and send them on their way, until one day a king showed up at his doorstep and would change his fortune forever.....

This is one of the versions of the classic fairy tale, "Hans My Hedgehog"  (only the first half of it - the second half has princesses and a 'happy ever after' ending, of course).  This story was wonderfully acted out in the TV show "The Storyteller" by Jim Henson (yes, that Jim Henson).  This skin is how Hans appeared in one of the episodes!  If you haven't seen the show, i highly recommend finding a copy somewhere - it was and still is excellent!