Hare & the Hedgehog. Astra Publishing House. (2025, January 15). https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/hare-the-hedgehog-9789888240401/
“The two animals challenge each other to a race, and each one runs in its furrow; but the hare … always loses. As the hare runs, he always finds the hedgehog already at the other end; after zooming back and forth and finding the hedgehog always waiting at the finish line, the hare dies of exhaustion. The hare has not been very attentive … as the hedgehog has stationed his wife at one end of the furrow and himself at the other. The hare principle stands for the temporal cost of transmission: no matter how fast, any transit across space costs time. …The hedgehog principle … is simultaneity or predistribution of identicals … The hedgehog appears to be in two places at once, at no cost of time” (307).
Initially, I did not expect a fable to be included in Peter’s analysis about writing, and my reaction turned into interest once I realized the fable was not The Tortoise and the Hare by Aesop, but rather The Hare and the Hedgehog by Wilhelm Grimm and Jacob Grimm (also known as the Brothers Grimm); therefore, my interest in this section of the reading peaked as I learned about a new fable and its relation to Peter’s overall analysis about writing.
Peters states,
“The hare principle stands for the temporal cost of transmission” (307).
Peters explains that any medium of transmission comes at the expense of time and is subject to ending.
Peters continues,
“The hedgehog principle … is simultaneity or predistribution of identicals … The hedgehog appears to be in two places at once, at no cost of time” (307).
My understanding of this statement is that the hedgehog represents mediums that can exist in the past and the future at once.
My Interpretation
With this understanding of Peters’ breakdown of The Hare and the Hedgehog, my interpretation of Peters’ meaning of why this fable connects to writing is that the hare represents sound/audio and the hedgehog represents writing/text. The Hare represents sound/audio, as sound is in a constant, temporary state. Sound is in a consistent state of being a temporary medium, as once the source of sound stops, the sound ceases as well.
For instance:
Once an individual stops talking, the sound produced by their voice stops as well.
The clacking noises of my keyboard while I type this reflection stop once I stop typing.
There are some instances where sound can be preserved, such as audio recordings; however, once the recording ends, the sound stops as well unless replayed.
Sound in its natural state will remain as a temporary form. The transmission of sound comes at the cost of being temporary, which can align with Peters’ statement of
” … the hare principle stands for the temporary cost of transmission” (307).
The hedgehog represents writing/text, as writing is in a constant state of being in the past and the present. When text is applied to a medium, such as paper, it now remains on that medium unless removed. It exists in the past as an action that occurred and as something to remember or reflect; however, it also exists in the future for individuals to read.
For example:
Each word I type onto this reflection will remain in the past as an act of writing, but will serve in the future as sentences for Professor Tafler to read.
Historical books act as a medium of the past from when the text was written, but also remain in the future for individuals to read.
Therefore, writing remains in the past and future simultaneously, which aligns with Peters’ statement of:
“ … the hedgehog appears to be in two places at once, at no cost of time” (307).
With this interpretation, I do agree with the purpose The Hare and the Hedgehog serve in Peters’ analysis, as I believe it makes a clear distinction of how writing stands apart from other mediums. It also makes me consider how writing has constantly evolved throughout the years for individuals to understand what it meant in the past and what it will mean in the future. It brings a connection to the reading Metaphors We Live By by George Lankoff & Mark Johnson, as writing could be understood literally and metaphorically in the past and future. A metaphorical statement from the past could become literal in the future and vice versa. It makes me consider that, in addition to writing’s state of being in both the past and future, the meaning of writing can influence both states of time.
