Far, far away beyond the high, gloomy mountains lay a magical forest. The trees there were of different varieties: coniferous and deciduous. Among the coniferous trees grew shaggy pines and fragrant spruces, while among the deciduous ones stood sturdy oaks, slender birches, thin aspens, maples with carved leaves, and fluffy poplars.
Beside the tall, slender trees grew spreading bushes of viburnum and raspberry. The forest had many mushrooms: birch boletes, honey mushrooms, porcini, and other varieties. The forest was large and dense, and various animals lived there: wolves, foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs, deer, squirrels, and bears.
They lived together peacefully and harmoniously, helping one another, protecting each other from hunters and disobedient children. Only Fox couldn't quite get used to the peace and harmony. Her character was quarrelsome and difficult; she had trouble getting along with the other animals.
One day, Fox became very bored once again and decided to make fun of Hedgehog. She began to tease and provoke him:
Look, look, how small and clumsy he is, what short little legs, what tiny eyes, what sharp prickles—just laughable! What can you expect from him?
So Fox came up with entertainment to offend Hedgehog, and said:
Hey you, Hedgehog with the prickly needles! Let's compete! We'll have a contest called "Who Can Fill a Barrel with Water Faster." I'm sure you won't be able to do anything!
Hedgehog had nowhere to turn; all the animals were watching him. Under pressure from the impudent Fox, he quickly agreed.
They set a day for the competition. In the clearing where they decided to hold the contest, all the forest dwellers gathered. To watch the exciting competition, even the frogs from the neighbouring pond hopped over; they couldn't miss such a fun event. An eagle descended from the high mountains to see the rare spectacle.
Nimble forest mice crawled out of their little burrows, squirrels poked out from their tree hollows, and even Bear himself emerged from his den to watch the unusual competition.
Well, now I've got you, Prickly One. How can you keep up with me? I'm fast, brave, smart, and cunning. My bucket is much bigger than yours, my legs are longer, my paws are nimbler, which means I'll fill the barrel with water faster than you.
The red trickster thought to herself.
Hedgehog said nothing in response to his unwilling opponent, just kept quiet and shook his head slightly. He snuffled a bit, then stepped up to the starting line that Fox had drawn before the competition began.
And the cunning Fox began racing with little Hedgehog to carry water to the barrels. Hedgehog didn't rush; he carefully carried his little bucket, attentively stepping with his short legs, bringing all the water, down to the last drop, to the barrel, then returning to the source again.
Fox hurried and rushed, swinging her bucket, spilling water along the way, running circles around the barrel. By the time she reached the barrel, almost nothing remained in the bucket—just a tiny bit of water at the very bottom that she poured out before starting to fuss again.
The forest animals worried about the participants and actively supported them. Squirrels waved their tails, rabbits tapped their paws, Bear periodically let out a roar, and birds chirped without stopping. Each of them watched the competition attentively while thinking their own thoughts.
No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she hurried, she couldn't win the competition. The calm and unhurried Hedgehog managed to fill his barrel right to the brim before Fox did.
Fox was angry and furious at Hedgehog, but he said to her in a reasonable, quiet voice:
You see, Fox with the beautiful red coat, you boasted a lot, mocked and joked around, but you couldn't win the contest. I didn't rush; I did everything sensibly and methodically, and filled the barrel to the brim before you did. You were wrong, Fox, to think you could win through cunning and deception.
Any task should always be done honestly and conscientiously; then you'll do the work properly and on time, and you won't damage your reputation.
