“Oho!” said the grandmother, “if my stories don’t help you to be patient, there is no use in my telling them.”
“But they do help, grandmamma,” said the little boy. “I am a little patient now, just a very little. If you told me another story I should be more patient still.”
The grandmother laughed. Then she told the story of
THE STAG AND THE HEDGEHOG
A Stag and a Hedgehog were once standing upon a steep hill, and the Hedgehog invited the Stag to roll down with him into the ditch.
“Do you roll down first,” replied the Stag.
Without further words the Hedgehog rolled himself into a round ball and rolled down the slope. The Stag followed and broke his neck.
Then thought the Hedgehog, “What shall I do with you now?” At last the thought occurred to him to call a butcher, and he immediately set out to seek one. On the way he met a Fox.
“Whither away?” asked Reinecke; and the Hedgehog answered, “To seek a butcher.”