The Hare and the Hedgehog
Different doesn't mean wrong
Plot
A hedgehog and a hare who seemed to once be friends meet in the fields one day. The hare makes fun of the hedgehog and his crooked legs so the hedgehog decides to get revenge on the hare. The hedgehog challenges the hare to a race. The hedgehog places his wife (who looks identical to him) at the finish line. When the race begins, the hedgehog stays in his starting position, the hare races in his furrow to the finish line only to find the hedgehog's wife already there and he thinks it is the husband. The hare believes this to be unfair so he wants to rerun the race. He goes back to the starting line and the hedgehog is already there. They end up re-doing the race 73 times and eventually the hare dies of exhaustion. The hedgehog walks away with the French coin and the bottle of brandy that was up for grabs for the winner.
Setting
The first part of the tale takes place in an agricultural setting, probably in France (the winner of the race that takes place gets a French coin and a bottle of brandy).
"...harvest time..." "...buckwheat was in full bloom..." "...the wind was blowing warmly over the stubble field...".
The race takes place in a deep-furrowed field with each racer in their own furrow.
Characters
Hedgehog
Cheery "singing on a blessed Sunday morning". Stands up for himself because after the hare dies he walks away with the winnings with no concern after he has enacted his revenge.
Hare
Was friendly to the hedgehog, turns agitated "...did not return his greeting...'you might use your legs for a better purpose... "A distinguished gentleman". "Frightfully haughty (arrogant)." The hare made fun of the hedgehog's crooked legs. The hare can't accept defeat from someone he sees as deformed and this eventually kills him.
Hedgehog's wife
Subservient to her husband because she goes along with the twisted plan to trick the hare.
What can we learn?
Theme
One theme of this tale is not to look down on anyone, regardless of what you think of yourself or the other person. The hare thought he was better than the hedgehog because the hedgehog had crooked legs and the hare had long legs which made him fast. The hare couldn't accept defeat from someone he saw below himself which eventually killed him.