The Hare and The Hedgehog

On a Sunday morning in harvest time, a hedgehog stood at his door. He felt the cool breeze and hummed a little tune. His wife was washing and drying their children when he decided to take a walk to check on his turnips. Since his family ate them often, he considered them very important.

Closing his door, he started toward his turnip patch. He hadn’t gone far when he met a hare, who was also out checking on his cabbages.

“Good morning!” greeted the hedgehog.

The proud, rude hare didn’t return the greeting. Instead, he sneered, “Why are you out so early?”

“I’m just taking a walk,” said the hedgehog.

“A walk?” laughed the hare. “With those short legs? You should find something more useful to do.”

Angered, the hedgehog challenged him. “Do you think you can run faster than me?”

“Of course!” scoffed the hare.

“Let’s race, then,” said the hedgehog. They agreed to race for a gold coin and a bottle of brandy. The hedgehog said he needed breakfast first and would return in half an hour. The hare agreed to wait.

At home, the hedgehog told his wife about the race.

“Are you crazy?” she asked. “How can you beat the hare?”

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I have a plan.”

As they walked, he explained, “We’ll run down separate rows. You stand at the end of mine. When the hare gets close, just call out, ‘I’m already here.’”

At the field, he showed his wife where to stand and went to the starting point, where the hare was waiting.

“Can we start?” asked the hare.

“Yes,” said the hedgehog. “On your mark!”

The hare counted, “One, two, three,” and dashed off. The hedgehog took a few steps, then hid.

When the hare reached the end, the hedgehog’s wife called, “I’m already here!”

Surprised, the hare believed it was the hedgehog, as everyone knows a hedgehog’s wife looks just like him.

He insisted on racing back. Again and again, “I’m already here!” rang out. On the seventy-fourth run, the hare collapsed from exhaustion.

The hedgehog took his winnings and went home happily with his wife. From that day on, no hare ever challenged a hedgehog to a race again.