Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-07-30
THE HARE AND THE HEDGEHOG.

THE original of the following quaint
and admirable history is to be found in
.Firmench's Volkstimmen der Deut-
schen," curious selection Of examples
of the patois of Germany It has been
on its travels, in original and in transla-
lions, for many years, but is not yet ex-
hausted.-Boston Ad0ertsser:]
(From the German of Shroder.J
This story is a tough one to tell, young
STEERS, but true it is for all that! for my
grandfather, from whom [ have it, used
always to say, when he told it: "True
must it be my son, otherwise one could
not tell it so at ALL" And this is the way
the story ran:
Twas On a pleasant Sunday morning
toward harvest time, just as the buck
wheat blossomed. The sun had gone
brightly up into the heaven; the morning
wind swept warm over the stubble; the
larks sang in the air; the bees hummed
In the buckwheat; the good folk went in
Sunday gear to church, and all creatures
were happy and the hedgehog also.
The hedgehog stood before the door
morning air, and chirruped little song
as hedgehog is wont to sing on pleas
ant Sunday morning. And as he was
singing to himself, in CHEEKY little voice,
all at once it came into his head he might
just as WELL while his wife was washing
and dressing the children, take a little
walk into the field to see how his turnips
were standing. Now the turnips were
close to his house, ard he used to eat
them with his family, so that he looked
upon them as his own. No sooner said
than done. The hedgehog shut the house
door to after him, and took his way to
the field. He had not gone very far from
the house, and was about to turn, Just by
the thorn bush which stands there before
the field, near the turnip patch, when he
met the hare, who had gone out on a sim
liar business, namely, to look after his
cabbages. When the hedgehog caught
sight of the hare, he babe him q friendly
tGood morningI' But the hare, who in
his own way was a mighty fine gentle
man, and held his head very high, an
swered nothing to the hedgehog's greet
ing, but said to the hedgehog, putting on
thereby most scornful mien, "How hap
pens it, then, that thou art strolling about
here in the field SO early in the morn
ing?" eaH
"I'm taking a walk" said the hedge
hog. -eas ~
taking a walk?" laughed the hare;
atmethinks thou mightest use those legs
OF thine for better things''
This answer vexed the hedgehog huge
1y, for he could stand almost ANYTHING,
but his legs he did not like to have
spoken about because they were crooked
by nature.
"Thou thinkest, perhaps" said the
hedgehog to the hare, "thou could'st do
more with thine own legsi"
"That's what / do Think said the
hare.
THAT depends upon the trial" ouoth
The hedgehog. Il bet that if we run
race together, [ beat thee hollow.n
"That's quite laughable; thou, with thv
crooked legs" said the hare, s'but I've
nothing against it if thou art so bent upon
1T. What's the bets''
ga golden louis dor and bottle of
Brandy" said the hedgehog.
fDone," said the hare; 'sfall in and then
1T may come off at once"
NAY, there's no such hurry" said the
hedgehog; a am still quite hungry; I'll
go home and get bit Of breakfast first;
within half an hour I'll be here again on
the spot"
With this the hedgehog went his way,
for the hare was also content.
On the way the hedgehog thought to
himself:
"The hare trusts to his long legs, but
I'll fetch him for all that; he's fine gen
tleman, to be sure, but still he's only a
stupid fellow, and pay he shall p
Now when the hedgehog came to his
house, he said to his wife, "Wife, dress
myself in my gear, quickly; thou must go
with me TO the fieldD
whats ali this about?" said the wife
iI've bet the hare a golden louis dor
and & bottle of brandy thatI beat him in a
race, and thou must be by"
go, husbandp' began the hedgehog's
wife to cry, cart thou foolish? hast thou
quite lost thine understanding? How
canst thou wish to run race with the
hares"
''Hc d thy mouth, wife, J" said the hedge
hog, that's my business; don't NEEDLE