Teamwork story: The hedgehog's lesson about where there is a will there is a way

One Sunday morning, daddy hedgehog and mommy hedgehog were awakened by strange sounds. When they got up to see what was going on they found a somewhat funny but serious situation in the kitchen. One of their children was biting the chair leg, the other one was tackling an empty bowl and the third one was licking the carpet. Mommy hedgehog started panicking since they had no food left and clearly their children were very hungry. When daddy hedgehog finally calmed down everyone he told them he knows where they can find some food. So he got dressed and stepped onto the field with the turnip, “I hope it’s ripe so we can cook a delicious lunch.” But the turnip was not yet ripe and the hedgehog went looking for something else to eat while repeating, “Where there is a will there is a way.”

And he was right. He decided to take the route that got him to the top of the hill where he saw a rabbit watching his field of tomatoes with pride and satisfaction. “Good morning,” the hedgehog greeted the rabbit and took off his hat. “What beautiful tomatoes you have. Would you mind giving me some of them so that I may feed my hungry children?” The rabbit looks at the tiny hedgehog and rudely replies, “Go away. And take your funny legs with you.” The hedgehog felt offended as he loved his legs very much, “There’s nothing wrong with my legs. They are very nice and I can run really fast.” The rabbit started laughing, “You can’t run fast at all with those tiny legs. But if you are so sure about your legs and speed then let’s have a race. Do you see that freshly plowed field? The first one to get to the end of it wins.” The hedgehog tried to rattle the rabbits’ nerves a bit more and made a joke, “Dear rabbit, you are so lucky that the furrows are so deep. If not you would probably just give up at the middle of the race and go home when you would see me run past you so fast.” To make matters even worse the hedgehog dared to offer a bet to the rabbit. “If you are so sure that you can win dear rabbit, why don’t we make it worth stretching my legs. I bet you my field of turnips for your field of tomatoes. That is if you are not afraid?” The rabbit felt very offended by everything the hedgehog said and took the bet to prove his point. “Never has a hedgehog ever beaten a rabbit,” the rabbit screamed at the hedgehog. “Fine, but first let me go eat my breakfast, and I recommend you do the same, as no one should compete with an empty stomach. Meet you there in half an hour,” said the hedgehog and then went home.

The hedgehog ran home and told his wife everything that had just happened. “Oh my, what have you done my dear husband?” asked the momma hedgehog. “Don’t’ worry my dear, where there is a will there is a way,” replied the daddy hedgehog and then explained his plan. The plan was very simple. Momma hedgehog was to put on her husband’s clothes and go to the end of the field into the same furrow as her husband was. And just as the rabbit was getting close to her she should run past the end of the finish line at the end of the field. And when the rabbit gets there just nods if he says or asks anything. If it should happen that the rabbit would want a rematch she should accept it with a nod and then start running when the rabbit gives the go. But she should run just a bit, and then hide and prepare herself for the next race if need be.

After all said and done, the hedgehogs went to the field as they had planned. The rabbit was nervously waiting to prove his point. As the daddy hedgehog arrived at the starting line the two of them just looked at each other nodded and positioned themselves for the race. The rabbit counted down to start racing and as they began to run the hedgehog took only a few steps and then hid in the furrow. Just before the rabbit arrived at the finish line the momma hedgehog jumped out of the furrow in her husband’s suit and passed the finish line first. “This is not possible” objected the rabbit. He demanded a rematch, and when he lost again he demanded a rematch 30 more times. But every time the hedgehog would appear in front of him at the finish line. Eventually, the rabbit was too exhausted to go on like this and he fell to the ground. He admitted defeat and gave the field of tomatoes to the hedgehog. “Before you go dear hedgehog, please let me know how did you manage to beat me?” asked the rabbit. The hedgehog only smiled and replied, “You see I had no choice. I had to provide for my family. You know where there is a will there is a way.” And since that day on the hedgehog family was never hungry again, and the rabbit was careful of who and what he would make jokes off.