Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are small, spiny mammals with the ability to curl themselves into a ball as a means of protection. In Alice in Wonderland, this makes them ideal as croquet balls. While the object of croquet is to hit the ball with the mallet, the hedgehogs spend a good deal of their time tapping their feet impatiently or shaking their heads at the lunacy around them. Only rarely do they actually tumble along towards the goal.