The Race Between the Hare and the Hedgehog
The story goes like this: On a Sunday morning during the harvest season, buckwheat flowers were in full bloom, the sun was shining brightly, a gentle breeze rustled the grass in the fields, larks sang joyfully in the sky, and bees buzzed around the buckwheat. People were dressed in their finest clothes, heading to church for worship. Everything was cheerful, and the hedgehog was no exception.
The hedgehog stood at the door, hands on his hips, enjoying the gentle morning breeze, leisurely humming a little tune that was no different from the one he usually sang on Sunday mornings. As he hummed along, he suddenly remembered he wanted to check on the growth of his carrots while his wife was busy bathing the children. Although these carrots didn’t belong to him, they were so close to his home that he and his family had grown accustomed to living off them, and he considered them his own. So, without hesitation, he closed the door behind him and set off for the carrot patch.
Not far from home, as he rounded a bush, he spotted the hare, who was also heading out to check on his cabbage. The hedgehog greeted the hare cheerfully, saying good morning, but the hare, thinking of himself as a distinguished gentleman, responded arrogantly, ignoring the hedgehog’s greeting. He looked down on the hedgehog and sneered, “What are you doing running around so early in the morning?”
“I’m out for a walk,” the hedgehog replied.
“A walk?” The hare chuckled slightly. “I think you could use your legs for something better.” This response infuriated the hedgehog, who could tolerate a lot of things, but not a comment about his legs, as nature had given him short, crooked legs.
So, he retorted, “You think your legs are more useful than mine?”
“I certainly think so,” the hare said. “We can test that. I bet if we race, I will definitely beat you.”
The hedgehog found this amusing and said, “How ridiculous! Look at your short legs. But I’m willing to race. Since you have such an absurd idea, what shall we bet on?”
The hare suggested, “A gold Louis and a bottle of brandy.”
“Deal,” the hedgehog replied.
The hare said, “Let’s shake on it; we can start right away.”
“Not so fast,” the hedgehog said. “I haven’t had breakfast yet! I need to go home and eat. I’ll be back in half an hour.”
With that, the hedgehog left, and the hare was pleased with everything. On the way home, the hedgehog thought, “The hare is so proud of his long legs, but I’ll find a way to beat him. He may think he’s something special, but he’s incredibly foolish; he’ll get what he deserves for his words.”
When he got home, he told his wife, “Dear, hurry up and get dressed; we’re going to the field.”
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“I made a bet with the hare over a gold Louis and a bottle of brandy. I’m going to race him, and you need to be there too.”
“Oh my goodness, dear,” his wife exclaimed. “Have you lost your mind? Why would you want to race the hare?”
“Be quiet, woman,” the hedgehog retorted. “This is my business; it’s a man’s affair, and you should keep out of it. Now hurry up and get dressed!” His wife had no choice but to obey.
So they set off together. The hedgehog instructed his wife, “Listen carefully: I’ll make this field our racetrack. He’ll run one row, and I’ll run another. We’ll start from that end, and when he reaches the end of his row, you just need to call out: ‘I’ve been here all along.’”
Once they arrived at the field, the hedgehog told his wife where to stay, and then he walked to the starting line. When he got there, the hare was already waiting.
“Are we ready to start?” the hare asked.
“Of course,” said the hedgehog. “Let’s run.”
They prepared themselves on their respective rows. The hare counted, “One, two, three, go!” and like a gust of wind, he dashed down the field. But the hedgehog only ran a few steps before crouching down in the row and quietly stayed there.
When the hare reached the end of his row, the hedgehog’s wife greeted him, saying, “I’ve been here all along.” The hare was taken aback and quite puzzled. Since the hedgehog’s wife looked just like him, he assumed no one else would call out except the hedgehog. However, the hare thought, “This isn’t fair.” So he shouted, “Let’s race again; we need to start over.”
He dashed forward once more, seemingly flying. But the hedgehog’s wife remained quietly in her spot. When the hare reached the top of the row, the hedgehog called out, “I’ve been here all along.”
Now the hare was furious, shouting, “Let’s run again; we’ll do it again.” “No problem,” the hedgehog replied, “you can run as many times as you want.” So the hare raced another seventy-three times, and each time, when he reached the end of the row, the hedgehog and his wife would call out, “I’ve been here all along.”
By the seventy-fourth time, the hare was completely exhausted. He collapsed halfway, blood trickling from his mouth, and lay on the ground, dead. The hedgehog took the brandy and gold Louis he had won, called his wife out from the row, and happily returned home
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
