Buxtehude - The race between hare and hedgehog...
The race between the hedgehog and the hare on the small heathland near Buxtehude
This story can be told as a lie but its still true. Because when my granddad told me the story, I always said: 'It has to be true otherwise one couldn't tell the story.' Here goes the story:
It happened on a Sunday morning in autumn and the buckwheat was in bloom. The sunrise was beautiful, the morning wind caressed the stubble on the fields, the larks were singing in the air, bees buzzed through the buckwheat. The people put on their Sunday clothes and went to church. Everything that was alive was happy - and the hedgehog also. The hedgehog stood in front of his house, arms crossed, looked into the morning wind and was humming a song as good and as bad just as an hedgehog was able to on a lovely Sunday morning.
And as he was singing quietly to himself he suddenly thought: ' As long as my wife is washing and dressing the children I can go for a walk over the fields to see how the swedes are doing.' The swedes grew near his house and because he ate them often with his family he thought they belonged to him. No sooner said than done. The hedgehog closed the front door behind him and walked towards the field. He hadn't gone far and was just about to turn at the blackthorn bush towards the swede field when he met the hare. He had gone out on similar business, he wanted to look at his cabbage. When the hedgehog saw the hare he greeted him friendly. But the hare who was an elegant gentleman and terribly snooty didn't reply to this friendly greeting instead he said sneeringly: 'Why do run around this field so early in the morning?' 'I'm just going for a walk' the hedgehog answered. 'Walking'?' the hare laughed. 'I think you should make better use of your legs.' The hedgehog was angered by this answer. He was able to take it all but not his legs that was too much as hedgehogs have bandy legs by nature. 'And you think' said the hedgehog now, 'that can do more with your legs?' 'But of course' said the hare. 'Well we'll have to see about that' reckoned the hedgehog. 'Just you wait, when we race I will overtake you!' The hare couldn't help laughing. 'You with your bandy legs!' 'But why not - if you so keen. What's the stake?' 'One gold thaler and a bottle of schnapps,' said the hedgehog. 'Accepted' so the hare. 'Shake hands and then we are off.' 'No not so fast. I've just got out of bed. I need to go home first and have a spot of breakfast. I will be here in half an hour.'
The hare had no problem with that and off went the hedgehog. On the way home he thought by himself: 'The hare is very sure about his legs but I will show him. He might be an elegant gentleman but he is stupid an he will pay after all.' When he reached home he told his wife to dress quickly and said:'You have to run with me to the field!' 'What's that all about?' asked his wife. 'I have a bet with the hare for a gold thaler and a bottle of schnapps. I want to race him and you should be there.' 'Oh my goodness' cried his wife. 'Are you mad? How can you race a hare?' 'Shut up woman, that's my thing and non of your business. Get dressed and then we are off.' What was the wife to do? She had to follow him whether she wanted or not. As they now walked together the hedgehog said to his wife: 'Now listen carefully! Can you see the field over there? That's were we will be racing. The hare will run in one furrow and I in the other one. We'll start from the top. And you have nothing else to do than standing in the furrow at the end. And when the hare comes running in the other furrow you shout towards him: 'I'm here already!' With these words they reached the field. The hedgehog showed his wife the place and then walked himself to the top.
When he reached the top the hare was waiting there already. 'Can we start?' asked the hare. 'Yes off we go!' said the hedgehog. Both got into starting position and the hare counted: 'One - two - and three,' and the raced like a storm. The hedgehog just ran three steps, ducked into the furrow and stayed quiet. As the hare reached the end in full swing the hedgehog's wife shouted: 'I here already!'. The hare hesitated and was surprised. But he assumed that it was the hedgehog who was shouting. Because as everybody knows the look identical. But the hare concluded: 'Something is not right. We race back again!' And off he raced like the storm again, his ears were flying around his head. The wife didn't do anything other than to sit quietly. When the hare reached the top the hedgehog shouted towards him: 'I'm here already!' The hare was beside himself and screamed eagerly: 'We race back again!' 'I don't mind' answered the hedgehog. 'As often as you like.' And so the hare raced seventy three times and the hedgehog kept up with him. Every time when the hare reached the top or the end the hedgehog or his wife shouted: 'I'm here already!' The hare didn't completed the seventy fourth time; in the middle of the field he dropped dead. Blood was running from his neck. But the hedgehog took the winning prize,the golden thaler and the bottle of schnapps, called his wife and both went happily home. And they lived happily ever after.
And so it happened that the hedgehog raced t´he hare to death on the Buxtehude heathland. Since then no hare would dare to race against a Buxtehude hedgehog. And the moral of the story is: Firstly, nobody should think he can make fun of a simple person, should it be a hedgehog or otherwise even if he is very distinguished. Secondly, it is good when you want to get married to chose a wife of the same origin and looks exactly as yourself. If you are a hedgehog you have to make sure that the woman is also a hedgehog and so on.
eMail: buxtehude@city-map.de URL: www.buxtehude.net