Hedgehog the Spiny, Mole, and the Fox

Once upon a time, a spiny hedgehog was walking through a field when he saw a molehill. He heard the mole digging underground. The hedgehog called out to the mole:

"Come out, neighbor, let's have a chat."
The mole emerged, covered in dirt, and ran over to the hedgehog.

"I've been watching you," said the hedgehog, "and I see what a hard worker you are. I’ve got an idea."

"What’s your idea?" asked the mole.

"A good one. But I don’t know if you’ll agree to it."

"If it’s good for both of us, why wouldn’t I agree?" replied the mole.

"Let’s work together," said the hedgehog. "You plow the field, and I’ll harrow it and sow the wheat. Then we’ll split the harvest equally."

"Agreed, neighbor hedgehog," said the mole. "We’ll work together, and things will go smoothly. I can plow, but I can’t harrow—I don’t have any spines. And you have spines, but you don’t have strong legs and claws like I do. Alone, we’re not much use, but if we work together and share equally, it’ll be good for both of us."

"Well, then it’s settled," said the hedgehog. "Now, spit on your paws and get to work."

The mole got to work. She plowed for a day, then another, until the field was ready. Then it was the hedgehog’s turn. He rolled himself into a ball and rolled across the plowed field. He rolled for a day, then another, harrowing the soil with his sharp spines and sowing the wheat.

It turned out to be a bountiful year. The wheat grew tall, heavy with ears full of plump grain—a joy to behold.

When it was time to harvest, they cut the wheat, threshed it, and began to divide it.

The hedgehog took a measure, filled it to the brim with wheat, and said, "This is mine!"

Then he filled the measure halfway and handed it to the mole. "And this is yours!"

"Why do you take a full measure for yourself and give me only half?" asked the mole.

"Because my work was harder than yours," replied the hedgehog. "I harrowed the field and broke all my spines—not a single one is left."

"But I plowed the field and broke all my claws," argued the mole. "If we’re being fair, I should get more than you."

Word by word, the mole and the hedgehog began to argue, then fight, grabbing each other by the throat.

Just then, a fox happened to pass by. Hearing the commotion, she ran over to see what was going on. She separated the fighters and sat down to settle their dispute. She listened to both sides, all the while eyeing the wheat.

The hedgehog told the fox how much he had suffered while harrowing the field, and the mole showed her broken claws.

The fox listened, then smirked slyly and said, "I see you both worked hard. To avoid offending anyone, I’ll judge you fairly. Whatever I decide will stand. Agreed?"

"Agreed," said the hedgehog and the mole.

"I see," said the cunning fox, "that you’ve threshed ten measures of wheat, not counting the straw. The straw will go to the hedgehog, to ease his burden a little. Poor thing, he’s exhausted and broke all his spines. He can make a soft bed out of the straw. The mole gets one measure of wheat. And for the fox-sister, the remaining nine measures of wheat—to grind at the water mill. That’s my fair judgment!"

The hedgehog listened to the fox and thought, "Well, that’s justice for you! Straight as a rope in a sack."

The sly fox left with a full load of wheat. Then the mole said to the hedgehog, "See, neighbor hedgehog, what came of our quarrel? If we had split the wheat equally, we’d have had enough for the whole year. Now we’re left with nothing."

The hedgehog sighed.
"It seems you’re right," he said. "As the saying goes, 'When two fight, the third one profits.'"

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Hedgehog the Spiny, Mole, and the Fox

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