A horse chestnut with its rind full of prickly spines
Fell to the ground waiting for the hedgehog to dine
Insects, worms, snakes, are the hedgehog’s treats
But all through the night it found few tasty sweets
Hungry still it came upon the horse chestnut
From which it took a good nibble for his gut
“What pricks my snout, why so unkind
These sharp bristles of the chestnut’s rind
These small spines cause untold pain so much
How much more painful must mine be to touch?”

One can never understand misery others feel
who has not himself suffered a great deal