A Prickly Patron at Wycheproof Newsagency

Wycheproof shopkeeper James Blunden received an unexpected visitor on Wednesday morning, and it certainly wasn’t there to do its Christmas shopping.

After opening the shop, James left the back door open to let some fresh air through while he retrieved and sorted the daily newspapers. With the papers ready for delivery, he shut the doors and headed out.

On returning, he was putting names on papers when he heard noises coming from the Christmas section of the shop.

“Looking down that way, I spotted what looked like a little head. My first thought was snake, but to my surprise, an echidna emerged from behind the Christmas decorations,” James said.

“You could have blown me over with a feather (although those who know me know that won’t happen!).”

How the unexpected visitor found its way inside remains a mystery, but James has a couple of theories.

“Perhaps one of our elephant doorstops has come to life through the magic of Christmas, or maybe it’s the ghost of Laurie Pollington, returning to say hello 10 years after he left us.”

James named his visitor Puggles and, after a brief chat, left the echidna to continue its wanderings outside.

But Puggles had already made himself at home, knocking over the elephant doorstops and pulling down some tinsel.

“One can only wonder what he was up to. Was it Poll playing jokes again?” James said.

Whether it was Christmas magic, a cheeky ghost or simply an echidna that took a wrong turn, Puggles certainly gave James a Wednesday morning to remember.