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One summer morning a little hedgehog was sitting at the door of his home. He was a merry little fellow who wished everybody to be happy.
“I think I’ll just run over to the field and take a look at our turnips.” he said to his wife.
“I hope you won’t meet any of those rude hares,” said little Mrs. Hedgehog, “Yesterday they were in their cabbage patch when our little ones and I walked by. They laughed at our short legs, and said it must be stupid to be so slow.”
“Do not mind them, my dear. A hedgehog is as good as a hare any day. I’ll be back soon.” said the little hedgehog as he started off.
Just as he reached the turnip field he met a little hare. Now the hare thought himself a very fine fellow, indeed, because he could run like the wind. He was proud and ill-tempered, too.
When the little hedgehog saw the hare, he said in his pleasantest manner, “Good morning, Neighbour Hare.”
The hare did not answer his polite greeting, but said in a very rude manner, “Why are you in the fields so early this morning?”
“Oh, I’m just taking a walk.” answered the little hedgehog pleasantly.
“Taking a walk!” said the hare with a laugh, “What fun can it be to walk with such queer, short legs? I saw your wife and little ones yesterday, and I thought I should die laughing at them.”
This rude speech made the little hedgehog very angry. “I suppose you think your long legs are much better than my short ones,” he said, “But if you will run a race with me, I’ll show you that my legs are quite as good as yours.”
“That sounds like a joke,” said the hare, “But I’ll race with you right now. We’ll race down the furrows between your fine turnips. You run in one furrow and I’ll run in another, and we shall soon see who will reach the other end first. We may as well start at once, and get the race over.”
“Not so fast,” said the hedgehog, “I must go home and get some breakfast first. In half an hour I’ll be here again.”
The hare said that he would wait for him, and the hedgehog started home. “That rude hare is too proud of his long legs,”said the little hedgehog to himself, “I’ll teach him that it does not pay to boast.”
When he reached home he found his wife, and asked her to help him play a joke on the hare. On the way to the turnip field he told her just what he wanted her to do. “You must hide at the far end of the furrow,” he said, “Just before the hare reaches there you must pop your head up and say, ‘I am here first!’ You and I look so much alike that the hare will think I have beaten him.”
The hedgehog’s wife laughed and laughed at the joke they would play on the proud hare.
Soon they reached the field, and the little hedgehog placed his wife at the far end of the furrow. Then he went to the other end, where he found the hare waiting for him.
“Let’s start at once.” said the proud hare, “and get this foolish race over.”
“I am quite ready.” said the little hedgehog as he took his place in his furrow.
The hare hopped to the next furrow and took his place. Then he counted, “One, two, three, go!” and away he went like the wind.
The little hedgehog ran only a few steps and then he lay quite still among the leaves. The hare thought that the hedgehog was still running.
Just before the hare reached the far end of his furrow, the hedgehog’s wife popped up her head and said, “I am here first!”
The hare stood still in wonder. “Well, this is strange!” he said.
“Not strange at all,” said the hedgehog’s wife.
“Let’s race back,” said the little hare, “You cannot beat me again.”
“I’m very willing.” said the hedgehog’s wife.
So the hare turned quickly and ran back through his furrow even faster than at first.
But just before he reached the other end, the little hedgehog popped up his head and said, “I am here first!”
“I can’t understand this at all.” said the surprised hare.
“It’s just as simple as A, B, C,” said the hedgehog.
“Well, let’s try again.” said the hare.
“As often as you please,” said the little hedgehog, “I feel just as fresh as when we started.”
“One, two, three!” said the hare, and he was off. But when he reached the other end, the hedgehog’s wife put up her head and said, “Well, I am here first again! Neighbour Hare, you begin to look tired.”
The hare did not answer her, but started back again. Up and down his furrow he went, just seventy-three times, but each time one hedgehog or the other said, “I am here first!”
At last the hare was too tired to run any more, so he hopped slowly and sadly away.
The little hedgehogs laughed and laughed as they ate a fine juicy turnip. “Brains are better than legs, my dear.” said the happy little hedgehog to his happy little wife.
(Grimm)
hare : an animal similar to a rabbit
ill-tempered : not nice to others
boast : to say one is better than others
A) Answer the following questions.
1) Why did the hedgehog think the hares were rude?
2) How did the hare make the hedgehog angry?
3) What did the hedgehog say he would teach the hare?
4) What did the hedgehog mean when he said that brains are better than legs?
5) Why do you think this is such a popular folk tale?
B) What’s the word? Using the clues, write the correct words from the story.
1) a kind of animal with short legs-h _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2) a kind of vegetable similar to a pumpkin-t _ _ _ _ _
3) a trench in the Earth made by a plow-f _ _ _ _ _
4) someone who lives near you-n _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5) happy, cheerful-m _ _ _ _
C) True, False, or Not Given—Write T (true), F (false), or NG (not given) for each sentence.
1) _____ The hedgehog and the hare were good friends.
2) _____ The hedgehog could run faster than the hare.
3) _____ The hedgehog’s wife looked very similar to him.
4) _____ The hare’s wife looked very similar to him.
5) _____ At the end of the story, the hare was very tired.