The Hare's Bride

Once upon a time, in a village where gardens bloomed with the finest vegetables and children played safely in meadow grasses, there lived a woman with her daughter. They tended a beautiful cabbage garden behind their cottage, where rows of green vegetables grew in neat, orderly lines.

The daughter was known throughout the village for her quick wit and merry disposition. She had bright eyes that sparkled with intelligence and a ready smile for everyone she met. Her mother loved her dearly and took pride in teaching her all the skills of keeping house and garden.

One sunny morning, as the girl was working in the cabbage patch, pulling weeds and tending the plants, a large brown hare hopped into the garden. At first, she thought nothing of it—hares often came to nibble at the tender leaves, and her mother had taught her to shoo them away gently.

“Go along, little hare,” she said kindly. “These cabbages are for our table, not yours.”

But this hare was different from the others. Instead of hopping away, it sat up on its hind legs and spoke in a clear, human voice.

“Beautiful maiden,” said the hare, twitching its whiskers, “I have been watching you tend this garden, and I have fallen in love with your grace and kindness. I wish you to become my bride.”

The girl was so startled by the speaking hare that she dropped her gardening tools. “A hare cannot marry a human girl!” she exclaimed. “That is impossible!”

“Nothing is impossible for those who truly love,” replied the hare solemnly. “I am not an ordinary hare, but a creature of magic. If you agree to marry me, I will take you to my burrow, where we shall live happily together.”

The girl looked at the serious little creature and realized that, magical or not, she had no desire to marry a hare and spend her life underground. But she also sensed that this was no ordinary situation and that she must be very careful in how she responded.

“Such a proposal requires careful consideration,” she said diplomatically. “Marriage is a serious matter that cannot be decided hastily.”

The hare’s ears perked up with hope. “Then you will consider my offer?”

“I will,” she replied, her mind already working on a plan. “But first, I must prepare myself properly for such an important decision. Give me some time to think about your proposal.”

The hare agreed, but insisted on visiting her every day to press his suit. Each morning, he would appear in the garden and speak of his love, describing the burrow he had prepared and the life they would share together.

The girl listened politely but grew more determined each day to find a way out of this peculiar predicament. She confided in her mother, who was equally puzzled by the situation.

“We must be clever about this,” her mother advised. “Magical creatures can be dangerous if offended, but perhaps we can find a way to satisfy the hare without sacrificing your freedom.”

After several days of the hare’s persistent courtship, the girl finally announced that she would give him her answer.

“Dear hare,” she said, “I have considered your proposal carefully. If we are to be married, I must first see your home and know that you can provide for a wife properly.”

The hare was delighted. “Of course! Come with me now, and I will show you the wonderful burrow I have prepared.”

“But I cannot come dressed as I am,” the girl protested, gesturing to her simple work clothes. “If I am to be your bride, I must dress appropriately for such an important occasion. Allow me to go inside and put on my finest dress.”

The hare agreed eagerly, hopping about with excitement while she went into the cottage.

Once inside, the girl quickly explained her plan to her mother. They dressed a straw figure in the girl’s second-best dress and bonnet, positioning it by the window so it appeared that the girl was still inside preparing herself.

Meanwhile, the girl slipped out the back door of the cottage and hid in the woodshed, where she could see what happened next.

After waiting for what he considered a reasonable time, the hare called out, “Are you ready, my dear bride?”

“Almost,” the girl’s mother called back, disguising her voice to sound like her daughter. “I am just putting the finishing touches on my appearance. Please wait just a moment longer.”

The hare waited patiently, but eventually grew curious about what was taking so long. He hopped closer to the window and peered inside.

“My bride!” he called. “You look lovely! Please come out so we can depart for our new home.”

But the figure by the window remained motionless. The hare called again, more insistently, and when there was still no response, he hopped right up to the window for a closer look.

It was then that he realized he had been tricked. The “bride” was nothing but straw and old clothes!

“Where is she?” he cried angrily, hopping around the garden. “Where is my bride?”

From her hiding place, the girl called out, “I am here, dear hare, but I’m afraid I cannot marry you after all.”

The hare turned toward the sound of her voice, his eyes flashing with indignation. “You have deceived me! You promised to consider my proposal!”

“And I did consider it,” she replied calmly. “I considered it very carefully, and I have decided that we would not suit each other. A hare and a human girl are too different to make a happy marriage.”

The hare stamped his hind feet furiously. “You cannot refuse me! I am a magical creature, and I demand that you honor your word!”

“I promised only to consider your proposal,” the girl reminded him. “I never promised to accept it. And now I have given you my answer.”

The hare realized that he had indeed been outwitted. Though he was magical, he was also bound by the same rules of fairness that governed all creatures. The girl had not actually promised to marry him, only to think about it.

“Very well,” he said finally, his anger giving way to grudging admiration for her cleverness. “You have shown that you possess a quick wit and brave heart. Perhaps you are right that we would not have suited each other. A wife should be willing, not trapped by trickery.”

“I am glad you understand,” the girl said, emerging from her hiding place. “I meant no insult to you personally. You seem like a kind hare, and I’m sure you will find a bride who truly wishes to share your life.”

The hare sat quietly for a moment, considering her words. “You are wiser than I gave you credit for,” he admitted. “I was so enchanted by your beauty and kindness that I didn’t consider whether you might have dreams and wishes of your own.”

“Thank you for understanding,” she replied gently. “I hope you will find happiness, wherever you may look for it.”

With a dignified bow of his head, the hare hopped away from the garden and was never seen in the village again. Some said he returned to the deep forest where magical creatures lived, while others believed he eventually found a hare bride who shared his magical nature.

The girl continued to tend her mother’s garden, and in time, she married a young man from the village who loved her wit and spirit as much as her beauty. They lived happily together, and she often told their children the story of the hare’s proposal as a reminder that kindness and cleverness together could solve even the most unusual problems.

As for the straw figure that had helped in her escape, the girl’s mother kept it as a scarecrow in the garden, where it served the useful purpose of keeping birds away from the cabbages. Visitors to the garden would sometimes remark on how lifelike the scarecrow appeared, but they never guessed that it had once played the role of a reluctant bride in a fairy tale of wit and wisdom.

The girl grew up to be known throughout the region for her intelligence and problem-solving abilities. People would often seek her advice when faced with difficult situations, and she always counseled them to think carefully before making important decisions, to be honest in their dealings with others, and to remember that cleverness combined with kindness could overcome even the most challenging circumstances.

And though she never again encountered a magical hare seeking a bride, she never forgot the lesson of that strange encounter: that one must be both brave and wise to navigate the unexpected adventures that life sometimes presents, and that sometimes the most unusual problems require the most creative solutions.