Lucy lived in a little house on the edge of a big green hill. One sunny morning, she lost her favorite blue handkerchief. “Where could it be?” she wondered aloud, checking under her bed, behind the sofa, and even inside her boots. It was nowhere to be found. Determined to solve the mystery, Lucy decided to climb up the hill in search of her missing treasure. She tucked her hair under her bonnet and skipped off, her curiosity bubbling like lemonade.

As Lucy wandered higher and higher, she spotted a tiny door nestled into the hillside. It was painted red and had a brass knocker shaped like a hedgehog. “How curious!” Lucy said, rapping gently on the door. To her surprise, the door creaked open, and there stood Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a plump little hedgehog wrapped in a white apron. Her prickly spines peeked out like a feathery halo behind her head. “Hello, dear,” said Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle warmly. “Are you looking for something?”

Lucy explained her missing handkerchief, and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle gave a knowing smile. “Come in, come in! I might have just what you’re looking for.” Inside, the room was small and cozy, filled with the sweet smell of soap and the gentle hum of a kettle boiling on the stove. Laundry hung on lines stretched across the ceiling, waving like little flags in the breeze. Lucy gasped when she saw her blue handkerchief neatly folded on a table beside stacks of colorful clothes.

“Oh! You’ve found it!” Lucy exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight. “But how did it get here?” Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle chuckled as she began ironing a tiny sock. “Well, you see, I collect all the stray laundry left behind in the hills. Socks, aprons, and handkerchiefs—they all make their way to me sooner or later! I wash and iron them until they’re good as new. I suppose your handkerchief went on a little adventure and ended up in my basket.” Lucy thought this was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.

Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle handed Lucy her clean, fresh handkerchief. “Thank you so much,” Lucy said. “You must work very hard!” The hedgehog nodded, her quills rustling softly. “It’s busy work, but I love it. Clean clothes and happy faces make it all worthwhile.”

Just then, the kettle whistled, and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle poured tea into two tiny cups. Lucy stayed for a while longer, sipping tea and chatting with her new friend. Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle showed her how she scrubbed stains away and ironed out wrinkles, and Lucy marveled at her cleverness. The little hedgehog even let Lucy try her hand at folding napkins, though Lucy’s folds were a bit wobbly.

When it was time to leave, Lucy waved goodbye and skipped back down the hill with her handkerchief in her pocket and a big smile on her face. The world seemed a little brighter knowing that someone as kind as Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle lived right there in the hills, quietly helping everyone one piece of laundry at a time.

And so, Lucy learned that even the littlest helpers can make a big difference, one kind deed at a time.