Long, long ago, in a big green jungle in South America, there lived a young Painted Jaguar with beautiful golden fur covered in dark spots. He was always very hungry, but he was not very clever. His mother sat on a sunny rock and tried to teach him how to catch his dinner. 'Listen carefully, my son,' she said with a patient sigh.
Mother Jaguar told her son about two animals he would find by the river. 'One is Stickly-Prickly the Hedgehog — he curls into a prickly ball. The other is Slow-and-Solid the Tortoise — he hides inside his hard shell. Remember: you must scoop the Hedgehog out of his curl, and drop the Tortoise into the water!' The young Jaguar nodded, but he was already getting mixed up.
Down by the muddy brown river, the young Jaguar found Stickly-Prickly the Hedgehog and Slow-and-Solid the Tortoise sitting together on a log. Stickly-Prickly was small and round with brown prickles sticking out everywhere, and he had the cheeriest smile. Slow-and-Solid had a beautiful dark green shell with golden patterns, and his wise old eyes twinkled in the sunlight.
'Are you the one I scoop, or the one I drop in the water?' asked the confused Jaguar, scratching his spotted head. Stickly-Prickly curled into a tight, prickly ball. 'Ouch!' cried the Jaguar, pricking his paw. Then Slow-and-Solid pulled his head and legs inside his hard shell. The Jaguar tried to bite the shell but only hurt his teeth. 'This is very confusing!' wailed the Jaguar.
After the Jaguar went home to ask his mother again, Stickly-Prickly uncurled and Slow-and-Solid poked his head out. 'We need a plan!' said Stickly-Prickly. 'If we teach each other our best tricks, that silly Jaguar will never be able to tell us apart!' Slow-and-Solid nodded his wise old head slowly. 'That is a very good idea, my prickly friend. Let us begin right away!'
First, Slow-and-Solid taught Stickly-Prickly how to swim. The little Hedgehog was scared of the water at first, but his friend was very patient. 'Kick your little legs and paddle!' said the Tortoise, swimming alongside him. Splash, splash, splash! Soon Stickly-Prickly was paddling through the muddy river, laughing and giggling. 'Look at me! I can swim!' he squealed with delight.
Then it was Stickly-Prickly's turn to teach. He showed Slow-and-Solid how to curl up into a ball. 'Tuck your head in, pull your legs close, and roll!' The Tortoise tried and tried. It was very hard because of his big heavy shell, but he practiced every day. Little by little, he learned to curl his shell edges down and roll — not perfectly round, but close enough!
When the young Jaguar came back, he was more confused than ever! Stickly-Prickly jumped into the river and swam away — but Hedgehogs are not supposed to swim! Slow-and-Solid curled up into a bumpy ball — but Tortoises are not supposed to curl! 'Mother! Mother!' cried the Jaguar, running home. 'They are doing each other's things! I do not know which is which anymore!'
Days and weeks went by, and something magical happened. Stickly-Prickly's prickles became flatter and harder, turning into tough little scales that overlapped like armor. Slow-and-Solid's shell grew bendier so he could curl up better and better. They were both changing! They looked more and more alike — not quite a Hedgehog, not quite a Tortoise, but something wonderfully new.
And that, Best Beloved, is how the very first Armadillos came to be! Stickly-Prickly and Slow-and-Solid became the best of friends who shared everything — their tricks, their talents, and their new armored coats. The poor young Jaguar never did figure out which was which. And if you ever see an Armadillo in the jungle, curled up in its hard little shell, you will know it is because two clever friends helped each other long, long ago.
