Life — June 9, 1910 — page 27: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Hare and Hedgehog (This charming little story, by brothers Grimm, is full of the most de cate humor, so’ good because it is con strained. Note the subtle satire on the morriage relationships and the triumph not of virtue over vice, but of brains over egotism.) It was _a beautiful morning about harvest time; the buckwheat was in flower, the sun shining in the heavens and the morning breeze waving the golden corn, while the lark sang blithely in the clear blue sky and the bees were buzzing about the flowers. The villagers seemed all alive; many of them were dressed in their best clothes hastening to the Ir. It was a lovely day and all nature seemed happy, even to. the little hedgehog. who stood in his own door, He had his arms folded and was singing merrily as little hedge hogs can do on a pleasant: morn- ing While he thus stood amusing him- self his lithe wife was washing and dressing the children and he thought he might well go and see how the eld of turnips was getting on. He had not gone farther than the little hedge bordering the turnip field when he saw hare who was on his way to inspect the cabbages which he also considered — belonge to him. When the hedgeh saw the hare he wished him) “Good-morning” very pleasantly. But the hare, who was a grand gen- tleman in his way, and not very good tempered, took no notice of the hedge- hog’s greeting, but said in a most im- pertinent manner, “ How is it that you are running about the fields so early this morning?” T am taking a walk,” hedgehog. “Taking a walk!" cried the hare, with a laugh. “I don’t think your legs are much suited for walking.” The answer made the hedgehog very angry. He could bear anything but reference to his legs, so he said: “You consider your legs are better than mine, | suppose? “Well, [ rather think they are,” the hare. “T should like to prove it,” said the hedgehog. “I'll wager anything that if we should run a race T should win.” “That is a capital joke!” cried the hare. “To think you could beat me with your bandy legs! However, if you wish it, E have no objections to irying. What will you bet?” “A golden guinea and a bottle of wine.” “Agreed,” said the hare, may as well begin at once. “No, no,” said the hedgehog, “not in such a hurry as that. I must go home first and get something to eat In half an hour T will be here again.” said the said and we “PEE The hare agreed to wait, and away went the hedgehog thinking to him- self, “ The hare trusts in his long legs but’ Iwill conquer him. He thinks himself a very grand gentleman, but he is only a stupid fellow after ali and he will have to pay for his pride. On arriving home the hedgehog said to his wife, “ Wife, dress yourself as quickly as possible; you must go to the field with me. tonen aeee & "TAKING A WALK!” SAID THE HARE “What for?” she asked. “Well, [have made a bet with the hare of a guinea and a bottle of wine that I will beat him in a race that we are going to run.” “Why, husband !" cried Mrs. Hedge hog with a scream, “what are you thinking of? Have you lost your “Stop your noise, ma'am,” said the chog, “and don’t interfere with uffairs. What do you know: abc a man’s business? Get ready and come with me.” What. could Mrs. Hedgehog say after this? She could only obey and follow her husband whether she liked it or not. As they walked along to- gether he said to her: “ Now, pay at tention to what I say. You ‘see that large ficld? Well, we are going to race across it. The hare will run in one furrow and T in. another. All you have to do is to hide yourself in ihe furrow at the opposite end of the field from which we start, and when the hare comes up to you pop up your head and say. ‘Here I As they talked the hedgehog and_his wife reached the place in. the ficld where he wished her to stop and then went back and found the hare at the starting place ready to receive him. “Do you really mean it?” he asked Yes, of course,” replied the hedge hog. “Iam quite ready.” “Then let us start at once,” and ach placed himself in the furrow as the hare spoke. The hare counted, “One, two, three!” and started like a whirlwind | across ‘the field. The hedgehog, however, only ran a few 1071 steps and then popped down in the fur- row and remained still When the hare, after running at full speed reached the end of the field, the hedgehog’s wife raised her head’ and cried out, “Here | am!” The hare stood still in wonder, for the wife was so like her husband’ that he thought it must be “There is something wrong about this,” he thought. “ However, we'll, have an- other try.” So he turned and flew across the field at such a pace that his cars floated behind him The hedgehog’s wife, however, ¢ not move, and when the hare rea the other end the husband was th and cried, “Here | am!” The hare was beside himself with vexation, and he cried, “One more try, one more!” “LT don't mind,” said the hedgehog “Twill go as long as you like.” Upor this the hare sct_off running. and actually crossed the field sevents three times, and at one end the hy band said, “Here Lam!” and att other the wife same at the seventy-fourth time the hare’s strength came to an end and he fel to the ground and owned himself beaten. The hedgehog won the gu the bottle of wine, and aft his wife ont of the furrow: they home together in very ad And if they are not dead they are liv- ing. still The lesson to be story is that, may think himself, he laugh at others whom he con ferior until he knows wh secondly wife he sh ch he himself belongs should be said the went spirits learned from this rowever grand a person should neve ders in they can choose the class to w nd if he is a he gehog sh Intoxication What is life, after all, but a dream, And why ‘should ‘such’ pother” be made? Better far to be tipsy. And doze all day long in When Tf wake and look out into the lawn, I hear ‘mid the flowers a bird s \ gor dawn?” whistles, 1 sit ever The mango-bird spring O'erpower'd with the beautiful sight, Another full goblet I pour: And would sing till the moon bright— But soon I'm drunk as before rises The secret of wearying your reader is to tell him everything —Voltai comicbooks.com