Before the Stories Begin…

Have you ever wondered what the forest does in winter? How it passes the time, just standing there—silent, still, all covered in snow?

Well… it sleeps. And while it sleeps, it dreams.

It dreams of faraway places—some beautiful, some not so much. Some dreams are funny, others a little sad.

But how can a forest dream, you might ask? It can’t walk or travel. Maybe birds whisper their stories from distant lands… or perhaps the wind carries tales from far away? Yes, of course it does. But sometimes, listening isn't quite enough.

Sometimes, you need to see.

And that’s where this story begins—with Yens, the Hedgehog who makes dreams.

It’s not an easy job. To craft a truly good dream, you need just the right ingredients, gathered with care.
The best dreams might start with a summer memory of the salty ocean breeze, a sprinkle of warm pebbles beneath your feet, and a dash of seagull cries echoing in the distance.

Yens isn’t much of a traveler. He prefers his cozy home, his crackling fireplace, a good cup of tea, and his peaceful garden.
But every year, when summer rolls in, he lets out a long sigh, writes a note to Helga to look after the garden, and climbs up to the attic to fetch his backpack and tent.

And off he goes—to gather memories. Happy ones, and a few sad. Lovely ones, and some not so lovely. All to make winter dreams for the forest—so that when spring comes, it wakes full of life, greener, brighter, and more alive than the year before.

Preparations

It was early summer in the forest, and Yens was tending to the strawberries on the garden patch behind his house.

"I'm leaving soon, Spinny," said Yens, turning to a furry little spider lying in the sunny spot on the garden wooden table. "You will need to stay with Helga for the rest of the summer."

Spinny sighed with disappointment and turned away from Yens.

"I would gladly stay if I could," Yens shrugged. "But I already explained to you that I can't. This needs to be done, and the forest needs it."

And he continued to cut strawberry runners.

It was sunny and warm, and the light breeze felt fresh and nice. Yens enjoyed these last days in his garden before the long trip. He didn't want to go anywhere, especially now when the garden was finally lush and the strawberries were almost ready to harvest. But it was his duty as a forest Dream-Keeper to set off on a big journey every summer. This year was a little different; Spinny was around, and Yens didn't want to leave him behind. However, the trip was long and difficult, and Spinny was... well, Spinny. It would be better for everyone if he stayed with Helga the Owl, the forest innkeeper, and a kind, loving grandma to everyone who needed it. (This year, he had Spinny to worry about too. Spinny was a mischievous spider, and Yens was unsure if he would be able to handle the long and dangerous journey.)

Spinny didn't want to be left behind either. The trip promised to be exciting, and he didn't want to miss it. He liked everything exciting. But Yens didn't invite him, so probably there was nothing that could be done about it.

And so Yens prepared the garden for his long absence, went to the attic to fetch his travel gear, spent some time in his study den arranging all the jars, labels, and flasks, and was ready to set off.