, 1873-06-29

A TOUGH STORY.
The Hnre and the hedgehog on Bux-
tehude KAcath.
From tie Boston Advertiser.
THE origin Of the following quaint and nd
nirable history is to be found in ''Firmench's
volkstimmen der Deutschen," q curious co1lec-
tion of examples Of the patois of Germany. It
has bocn on its travels, ir the original and in
tranalations for many yesre, but is not yet e1-
haasted.1
From the Lose German Of schrodr7.
This etcry is tough one to tell, youngsters,
but true it is for ell that, for my grandfather,
from whom have it, used always to say, when
he told it: s'Truo must it be, my son, otherwise
one could not tell it 60 q. ali !" And this Is the
way the story ran:
'Tras on pleasant Sunday morning toward
harvest time, just Us the buckwheas biossomeo.
The sun had gone brightly up into the heaven
the morning wind swept warm over the stubble;
the lazls sang in the air the bees hunmed in
the buckwheat; the good folk went in sunday
rear to church, and all creatures we're happy,
and the hedgehog also.
The hedgehog stood before the door with his
arns folded, peepod ont into the morning air,
snd chirruped little song to himself, just as
,s1ug on q pleasant Sunday morning. And SIS he
was singing to himself, in CHEEKY little voice,
all at once it came into his head that he might
iust IS we'll, while his wife Was washing and
dressing the children, take little walk into the
field to SEQ how his turnips were stand
ing, Now the turnips Wero close to bus house.
and he used to eat them WITH hls 1am3y 60 snae
said than done. The hedgehog ehnt the house
door to after him, and took hs waJ to the field.
He had not gone very far from the house, and
was about to turn, Just by the tholn-1nan !} Wnsn
patch. when he met the hnre, who had gone en-
: similar business, namely. to look after his cab
bagos. When the hedgehog caught sight Of tie
Fare, be bade him o friendly "Good morning."
dne gentleman, and held his head very high, an
swered nothing to the hedgehogs. greeting, bat
6aid to the hedgehog, putting On thereby most
6oorntrl mlon, 'How happens it. then, that
thou at stEolling shout here in the field 80 early
s:Tm taking walk, }" said the hedgehog.
"Taking walk? ?" lnughed the hare; "me-
thinks thou miightest use those legs OF thine for
botter things"
This answer vexed the hedgehog hugely, for
did not ike to have spoken about because thoy
we're crooked by nature.
"Thou thinkcst, perhaps" said the hedgehog
TO the hare, i" thou couldst do more With thine
own legs!"
"That's what do thinx, " said the hare.
.That depends upon the trial, quoth the
hedgehog. ~"I bet that il We run a race togeth-
ar / beat thee hollow"
crooked legs," said the hare, q but I've nothing
against it Il thou art so bent upon it. What's
the bet 2" -,
* golden louis dor and bottle Of brandy!"
raid the hedgehog. ,.
"Doue," said the hare; fall in, aud then It
mfr at
NAY, there's no such hurry" said the hedge
hog; II am still quite hungry; III go home
ard ret q bit of breakfast first; within half an
hour I'll be here sgain on the spot"
With this the hedgehog went his way, 1or. the
hare Vas elso content.
On the nay the hedgehog thought to him
self:
fetch him for all that; he's q fine gentleman to
be sure, but still he's cnly stupid fellow, and
pay he SHALL"
Now, when the hedgehog came to his house.
he said to his wife:
AWfe, dres8 thy6eh in my gear quickly, thou
must 20 with mo to the field"
'tWhats all this about7 said the wife.
"I've bet the hare golden louis dor and
bottle Of brandy that beat lin in race and
thou must bo by"
wife to CRY, '.art thou foolish? hast thou quite
lost thine Understandings How canst thou wish
to run race With the ha1e?"
"Hold thy mouth, wife," said the hedgehog,
'sthat's nv business don't NEEDLE with mems
affai1s. March! dress thyself in my clothes.
and then come along"
What could the hedgehog'a wife do2 She had
to follow whether OF no. When they we're On
the wa Together the hsagehog sso eoas % ns bn
on the long acre yonder will be run our 1ace
Tia ha-e rups in one furrow, and another, npd
we begin to run from up there. Now thou hast
nothing else to do than to take thy place here IN
hon hare
other side thou must call out to him, I'm here
. slready!" With this they had reached the field !
. the hedgehog showed his wife her place, and
went up the furrow. When he got to ths upper
end the hare WIS already there.
Scan ne start 2" said the hare.
"Tes, indeed !" said the hedgehog.
"To it, then and with that each placed him
sell in his furroB, and the haro counted one,
down the field. But the hedgehog ran about
three steps, and then ducked down in the fu1row
and Sat sti1l~
When the hare, on the full bouad, came to the
lover end Of the field, tho neighbours K;5e called
out to him, "I'm here already !" The hare
started, and wondered not little :; he thought
no otherwise than that it was the hedgehog him
self that ran out to meet him, for, as evcry one
knows, TIE hcdgehog's wife looks just like her
hnsband.
But the hare thought: There's something
wrong about ell this! Another race! 1t it
egain! And away he went like a storm wind, 30
that bis ears Lay fat on his head But the hedge
hogs wife staid quietly in her place: When the
hare came to the upper end the hedgehog called
out to him, "Tm here already" But the hare,
beside himself with rage, cried, "Another raee! !!
At it sgain!"
I'm quite wiling" answered the hedgehog,
t.iust as often as thou Ikeet."
So the hare ran three and seventy times, and
the hedgehog held out to the very end with
him Every timo the hare came either below or
nbo7e, the hedgehog OF his wife said, "I'm here
already"
But the four and seventieth time the hare
came no more to the end. In the middle OF the
field he fell to the earth and lay dead upon the
spot.
So the hedgehog took the louis dor and the
bottle OF brandy lie had won, called his wife out
OF the furrow, antt both went home together;
and if they have not died they are living still
So happened it that on the Buxtehude heath the
hedgehog ran the hare to death, and since that
time no hare hae ever dreamed Of running race
with Buxtehude hedgehog.
But the moral of this story is, first, that no
one, however high and mighty he may think
himself, shall let it happen to him to make
- L