Heghog and the Secrets That Slipped

Loose tweets and squeaks sink leafy fleets

🌳 In the Grove where the bright maple leaves twist and twine,

Where rumors could rustle like vines on a vine,

The critters would gather to chatter and scheme,

And dream up big plans by the silvery stream.

🌳 At the heart of the grove by a moss-muddled stone,

Sat Heghog the Hasty with his bright blinking phone.

He twiddled and tapped with a puffed-out proud snout,

Sending big secret plans all about.

🌳 "Secrets slip! Secrets slip!

Whisper once, and away they zip!"

🐾 (Chant aloud!)

🌳 "Come closer, my brother! Come hear and come see—

I’ll tell you the missions meant only for me!"

He texted his wife, and his cousin, and more,

While munching sweet berries outside the tree door.

🌳 But Heghog forgot, in his tapping delight,

That whispers on wires can take flight in the night!

For secrets that sparkle on blinking blue screens,

Slip quicker than beetles through cracks in the beams.

🌳 "Secrets slip! Secrets slip!

Whisper once, and away they zip!"

🐾 (Chant again!)

🌳 The Crow and the Chipmunk, both sharp in their ways,

Caught sight of his messages, bright as midday!

They gobbled the gossip and giggled with glee,

And plotted new plans by the old chestnut tree.

🌳 When Beaver Brigade tried defending the dam,

The Chipmunks were ready—they sprang with a BAM!

The branches were battered, the waters surged fast,

And all from a whisper too careless to last.

🌳 "Secrets slip! Secrets slip!

Whisper once, and away they zip!"

🐾 (One last chant!)

🌳 At sunrise the Council of Oaks gathered round,

While poor little Heghog the Hasty stared low at the ground.

The wise Owl blinked thrice and she solemnly said:

"Loose whiskers and whispers bring trouble instead."

🌳 "The vines of the forest are clever and quick,

But secrets on wires can turn into a trick.

A leader must guard every letter and call,

Or risk being the reason we tumble and fall."

🌳 Heghog sniffled and nodded, his quills drooping low,

As the lesson took root and began to grow.

From that day in Grovewood, each critter took care—

Plans stayed in burrows, not buzzing through air.

🌳 And though sometimes a sparkle still danced in his eye,

Heghog the Hasty now paused with a sigh.

For he'd learned in the end, with a blush and a cheer:

That keeping a secret keeps loved ones near!

📚 Did You Know?

Real leaders must protect important plans using special secure phones and channels. Even one careless message can cause a BIG problem for lots of people—just like in Grovewood!

✍️ Why I Wrote This

I wrote this fable as a gentle but sharp reminder that leadership demands restraint—especially in the age of instant messages and impulsive posts. This fable is a stand-in for every leader who shares first and thinks later, mistaking visibility for wisdom and speed for strategy.

In a time when private plans leak faster than a squirrel on syrup, I wanted to show how one careless whisper—or tap—can ripple into real consequences. Not just embarrassment, but loss of trust, safety, and unity.

This story is both caution and call: that integrity isn’t just what you say out loud—it’s what you keep safe, when no one’s watching. For children, it plants the seed of digital mindfulness. For adults, it reflects what happens when ego trumps duty.

Because in every forest—real or metaphorical—the strongest leaders know when to speak, and when to hold their silence with care.

—Ross Boulton