whilst he was thus singing half aloud to himself, it suddenly occurred to him that, while his wife was washing and drying the children, he might very well take a walk into the field, and see how his turnips were going on. the turnips were, in fact, close beside his house, and he and his family were accustomed to eat them, for which reason he looked upon them as his own. no sooner said than done. the hedgehog shut the house-door behind him, and took the path to the field. he had not gone very far from home, and was just turning round the sloe-bush which stands there outside the field, to go up into the turnip-field, when he observed the hare who had gone out on business of the same kind, namely, to visit his cabbages. when the hedgehog caught sight of the hare, he bade him a friendly good morning. but the hare, who was in his own way a distinguished gentleman, and frightfully haughty, did not return the hedgehog’s greeting, but said to him, assuming at the same time a very contemptuous manner, "how do you happen to be running about here in the field so early in the morning?" "i am taking a walk," said the hedgehog. "a walk!" said the hare, with a smile. "it seems to me that you might use your legs for a better purpose." this answer made the hedgehog furiously angry, for he can bear anything but an attack on his legs, just because they are crooked by nature. so now the hedgehog said to the hare, "you seem to imagine that you can do more with your legs than i with mine." "that is just what i do think," said the hare.