The History of the Northern Dynasty records that emperor Wu Cheng dreamed that a giant hedgehog attacked his city, Ye. When he awoke, he ordered that all of the hedgehogs within the boundaries of the city be killed. His guards went after these small, harmless creatures.

The common people, those small, harmless creatures, talked. He grew unpopular with his subjects for many such impulsive, callous actions. They called him the giant hedgehog wrecking their city.

The hedgehog became a symbol of how to destroy your own dynasty.

AFTERWORD

I just couldn't resist the Hedgehog of Horror dream, brief though it is.

At least people learned from Wu Cheng's nasty overreaction and never, ever let mean, clueless people take power. Ever again.

--Chris Wayan

SOURCE: paraphrased from The Interpretation of Dreams in Chinese Culture by Fang Jing Pei and Zhang Juwen, p.87, darkened by Wikipedia's bio of Wucheng; the other stories about him aren't funny. He didn't last long, and good riddance.

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