One Sunday morning during harvest, as the buckwheat bloomed, the sun shone brightly, and all creatures were happy, the hedgehog was happy too. Standing by his door, he decided to take a walk to check on his turnips.
On his way, he met the hare, who was visiting his cabbages. The hedgehog offered a friendly greeting, but the haughty hare replied with contempt, mocking the hedgehog's short, crooked legs. Insulted, the hedgehog challenged the hare to a race, wagering a gold coin and a bottle of brandy. The hare, confident in his speed, agreed.
The hedgehog went home and enlisted his wife's help. He explained his plan: they would use a long field with parallel furrows as the racecourse. The hedgehog would wait at the starting line, while his wife, who looked just like him, would hide at the far end of the other furrow.
When the race began, the hare sprinted like the wind down his furrow. Upon reaching the end, the hedgehog's wife popped up and cried, "I am here already!" Thinking it was the hedgehog, the shocked hare demanded a rematch. He ran back, only to find the hedgehog himself waiting at the starting line, saying the same thing. This trick was repeated over and over.
The hare ran seventy-three more times, exhausting himself. On the seventy-fourth attempt, he collapsed in the middle of the field and died. The hedgehog collected his winnings and returned home happily with his wife.
The moral of the story is twofold: first, no one, however great, should mock those beneath them. Second, when marrying, one should choose a partner of similar standing and appearance.