ne day my master took me on his
knee, and, holding up a card, said, 'Well, here you are!'--and what do
you suppose it was? Nothing more or less than my picture; just as I was
perched astride the screen the day when I thought I was going to be
killed. Here it is":

[Illustration]

THE HARE AND THE HEDGEHOG

BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM

This tale, my young readers, will seem to you to be quite false; but
still it must be true, for my Grandfather, who used to tell it to me,
would wind up by saying, "All this is true, my son, else it would never
have been told to me." The tale runs thus:--

It was a fine summer's morning, just before harvest-time; the buckwheat
was in flower, and the sun was shining brightly in the heaven above, a
breeze was blowing over the fields, where the larks were singing; and
along the paths the people were going to church dressed in their best.
Every creature seemed contented, even the Hedgehog, who stood before his
door singing as he best could a joyful song in praise of the fine
morning. Indoors, meanwhile, his Wife was washing and drying the
kitchen, before going into the fields for a walk to see how the crops
were getting on. She was such a long while, however, about her work that
Mr. Hedgehog would wait no longer, and trotted off by himself. He had
not walked any very long distance before he came to a small thicket,
near a field of cabbages, and there he espied a Hare, who he guessed had
come on a similar errand to himself; namely, to devour a few fine heads.
As soon as Mr. Hedgehog saw the Hare, he wished him a good morning; but
the latter, who was in his way a high-minded creature, turned a fierce
and haughty look upon the Hedgehog, and made no reply to his greeting.
He asked, instead, in a very majestic tone, how he came to be walking
abroad at such an early hour. "I am taking a walk," replied the
Hedgehog.

"A walk!" repeated the Hare, in an ironical tone, "methinks you might
employ your legs about something better!"

This answer vexed the Hedgehog most dreadfully, for he could have borne
anything better than to be quizzed about his legs, because they were
naturally short, and from no fault of his own. However, he said to the
Hare, "Well, you need not be so proud, pray, what can you do with those
legs of yours?" "That is my affair," replied the Hare. "I expect, if you
would venture a trial, that I should beat you in a race," said the
Hedgehog.

"You are laughing! you, with your sho