“Why, how is that?” asked the fox.
“Why, you see, I have one sense above, one below, and the third everywhere,” replied the hedgehog; and added: “And how manifold is your understanding?”
“Oh, mine is seventy-sevenfold,” answered the fox.
“Well, well!” said the hedgehog.
Thereupon they walked along through the fields, and so eagerly were they talking that they gave no heed to the way, and presently stumbled into a wolf’s den. Then was good counsel precious! How should they ever get out of this scrape?
Said Reynard to the hedgehog, “Come now, search around in your head-piece for a means of getting out of this pickle.”
“I should have done that before,” answered the hedgehog, “but I was afraid that by and by you would curse me. How shall I, a little hedgehog, with only a threefold understanding, devise anything better than you, who have a seventy-sevenfold understanding?”
However, after talking back and forth a long time, the hedgehog made this suggestion: “Say, Reynard, just seize me by the ear and throw me up out of the den, because I am the smaller.”
“Yes, but how shall I get out?”
“Oh, just stick up your tail, and I will pull you out!”