Якоб Гримм: "Эта история, мои дорогие, действительно правдива, потому что мой дедушка, от которого я ее унаследовал, всегда, рассказывая ее, говорил: "Это должно быть правдой, сын мой, иначе никто не смог бы рассказать ее тебе."
История такова.
Однажды воскресным утром, во время сбора урожая, когда гречиха была в цвету, на небе ярко светило солнце, восточный ветер тепло дул над стерневыми полями, в воздухе пели жаворонки, пчелы жужжали среди гречихи, люди в воскресной одежде шли в церковь, и все существа были счастливы, и ежик тоже был счастлив.
***
The hare and the hedgehog
One Sunday morning in autumn, a hedgehog was walking to a field full of turnips. There he met a hare. The hedgehog greeted the hare in a friendly manner. But the hare was very arrogant and made fun of the hedgehog’s legs.
As for his legs, however, the hedgehog could not take a joke, and so he challenged the hare to a race. They bet a luisdor (a gold coin) and a bottle of brandy on which of them would be the first to cross the finish line. The hare wanted to start immediately. But the hedgehog insisted on having his breakfast at home first and meeting again in half an hour.
At home, the hedgehog told his wife about the bet with the hare and asked her to come with him. The hedgehog’s wife thought her husband had lost his mind to get involved in a race with the hare. But she followed him.
On the way, the hedgehog explained to his wife how he was going to win with her help. While he himself started the race with the hare, Mrs. Hedgehog should already be waiting at the finish line. As soon as the hare approached the finish line, she was to call out, „I’m already here.“
So the woman took her place while her husband went to the meeting point with the hare. The hare counted to three and then ran off as fast as he could. The hedgehog, however, took just three steps and then ducked into a furrow in the field. When the hare arrived at its destination at full speed, the hedgehog’s wife called out, as agreed, „I’m already here!“
The hare didn’t recognize the deception, because the hedgehog’s wife looked exactly like her husband. Instead, the hare was annoyed at his defeat and wanted to repeat the race. Like a gale-force wind, he ran back to the starting point. But when he got there, this time the hedgehog himself called out, „I’m already here.“
They ran again and again the same thing happened. And again the angry rabbit wanted to repeat the race.
It went on like this 73 times. Each time the hare came to the finish, the hedgehog’s wife called out, „I’m already here.“ And when he returned to the starting point, the hedgehog himself called out, „I’m already here.“
At the 74th repetition, the hare collapsed dead. The hedgehog took his won gold coin and the bottle of brandy and went home happily together with his wife.
Since that time, no hare has dared to challenge a hedgehog to a race.
The lessons of this story are, first, that no one, no matter how distinguished he thinks he is, should make fun of a lesser being. And secondly, that you should choose a woman from your own class who looks just like you.