Once upon a time there was a little hedgehog that everybody called Harry. One day he was sitting in his garden—this was a very nice garden that Harry had, and every one said so. It had soft green grass for Harry to walk upon, and tea-roses, and all sorts of nice flowers growing all around it. Up at one side were great thick bushes all over in bloom, and even a little tree to creep under in case it rained (hedgehogs cannot abide wet weather).
However, although Harry knew all sorts of nice things like this, he did not seem quite happy, somehow, though it was a lovely afternoon in the summer-time, and the sun was shining so that the grass felt quite hot to his little feet. The reason was, he felt lonely and wanted some play-fellows.
Every one who passed the gate said: “How do you do, Harry?” and it was very polite of them, no doubt. But still Harry thought they would be much kinder if they would come in and play with him.
Just at this time two little rabbits passed by. One was a plump little thing, and the other was a long-legged little fellow who was rather cross and careless-like.
“Will you come into my garden and play?” said Harry to them.
“Oh, I should like it of all things,” said the plump one.
“But I don’t like the looks of things,” said the cross little fellow. “It seems to me you want to shut us in here, and then I don’t know what might happen.”
“Oh, you may trust me,” said Harry the hedgehog.
But the cross little fellow only turned his back and kept hopping away; and as for the plump little one, she was almost afraid of leaving her rude companion. So after wishing Harry good-bye, she hopped off after him, and there was Harry the hedgehog left alone again in his garden all by himself, just as he was before.
However, it was no use going on in this dull kind of way, so he thought he would ask the fox. Now the fox was coming that moment.
“Will you please to come in and make me a visit?” said Harry the hedgehog in a friendly kind of voice.
“I like your spirit,” said the fox, sitting up and tossing his head. “But to tell you the truth, I can’t play, for I am invited to a wedding.” With these words he went away to the field where the animals were assembled.
Now the wedding took place in an open space at the end of the wood. The place was arranged in a very peculiar way. On one side were the pigeons and chickens, to which the bridegroom belonged, for he was a wood-pigeon that was going to marry a hen-hen; and on the other side were the ducks and geese, which were the friends of the bride, who belonged to them. And in the middle was a hare, who said the words all for the wood-pigeon and his hen-hen.
What there was to eat and drink I can’t say; but both parties seemed to relish it very much, and they all cracked their little jokes or sang little songs, and were very merry indeed.
Unfortunately the fox happened to be placing himself where they least expected him, and to his great surprise he found himself right over the hic-cups.
“Will you give this for my health?” he said; meaning all the animals gathered there. And without waiting for an answer, he drank it.
“It is a terrible thing,” said the hen-hen; “I am sure we shall never have peace again now.”
“Nor I either,” said the wood-pigeon.
“I don’t like this style of joking at all,” quacked the old grey goose, who was one of the most respectable persons of that company.
And it was exactly the same thing that they all said one after another; so that this unlucky fox got quite frightened, for he never thought of that. However, there was a very pleasant little place at one side where a number of hares were just going to enjoy themselves. This fox approached, and seemed to feel himself very much at home indeed; only the hares didn’t think well of him at all, but resolved to make him suffer for the trick he had played on the wedding-party by teasing him till he was obliged to be off the field.
“Come here!” said one hare who was sitting by the remnant of a cherry-paste which had been left. “Come here! I wish you to hear a letter I have just received from a relative of mine.”
But to the fox’s intense surprise, instead of a letter, all that his sharp ears could hear was a stone base which had been well tied up in paper.
When the noise of the stone was over, and the envelopes from the paper had been shaken together, there came a rather strange sound, something as it might be if one gave a punch to a bottle full of small shot; and this had the effect of exciting the curiosity of the fox.
But the company having taken leave of one another, all the hares dispersed to their obscure retreats; there was none but this fox who walked slowly out of the field again to walk home to his dwelling-place.
“Upon my word,” he said to himself, “if Harry the hedgehog shouldn’t happen to have a little party this evening, I don’t think I can find myself anywhere else.” And then he jumped with both his hind feet into the middle of the pond close by, thinking that would soon make him quite cool again.
Now Harry’s party was all ready about this time. Poor Harry was so anxious, that he did not know even who was come. However, he heard some one say: “I think Mr. Fox is come at last.” So Harry rushed out of his house, mislaid his door, and frighted the older part of his company a good deal.
Who’s to tell cross little fellow, who kept at his end, complaining always of something or other? Mr. Fox, in getting out of the water, could not keep his feet still.
“Oh, oh, whom have we got here?” said he, as his great red tail brushed over the cross little fellow’s ears.
“I beg you will excuse me,” said the little one, pricking up his ears as high as he could to avoid an accident, he did not dare to move, for fear of displeasing Harry.
“Do take care, lie down,” said little rabbit who desired to be polite, but who just then could not refrain from laughing out-right at the prodigious disturbance Mr. Fox made in Harry’s house.
The whole company laughed aloud, upon which the cross one grew a little less cross, though he did not say one word, but lay down like a good little neighbour.
Just a few photographs of the party I have to mention in order to preserve the memory of it.
There was father hare and mother hare in the first row; behind was the goose, as good a friend as possible, especially as she was mistress of the poultry; there Harry’s own friends, the rabbits, were placed according to their order of rank. Then came all the birds and the more respectable animals of the field, and then M. Fox who was got to stand on his four feet again after his little accident, and who laughed and joked just as much as anybody else.
All of a sudden there came some one tapping nightly at the door.
“Oh dear!” cried the fox in great alarm, “Now it is all over with me if the wedding-party come to complain of me.”
The rest were all very much terrified too; and old goose sided with Mr. Fox to defend their common cause, provided he was innocent.
“Indeed,” said he, “it is impossible for a gentleman that is newly married to consider every trifling circumstance. I have just been at a little wedding myself.”
“Ah,” said old father hare, as if he had been thinking of something. “That’s quite true, I remember D. the goose’s old grandfather was the same person.” With these words he opened the door, and who should it be but our friend Harry the hedgehog come to see whether some one was not home out of the rain?