A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
A girl is violently cast out by her stepmother after chickens carry away household maize. A lion takes her, binds her by a roadside tree and leaves her there. Sheep, dog, camel, ox, wolf and greyhound refuse her requests for release because they fear the captor. The hedgehog finally arrives riding a hen, with an earthenware stirrup, a saddle of horse dung and a rope bridle. Learning that the lion tied her, it dismisses his pretensions and frees her before continuing to market. The lion later questions passing animals and confronts the hedgehog, which readily admits the rescue.
The lion mocks its tiny size and claims it could be swallowed without touching a tooth. The hedgehog challenges him to do so. Swallowed, it lodges in his throat and turns its spines against him until he begs it to come out. It first secures a promise that he will neither bite nor eat it on release. Once outside, it proposes war. The lion gathers all the animals, while the hedgehog collects woody grass stubble upon a hill. When their forces meet, it asks God for wind; the resulting gust drives splinters into the animals’ bodies and they flee. The narrator closes with the hedgehog’s victory. The rescuer’s miniature riding equipment, spines and tactics are explicit, but the animal is not identified as a particular living hedgehog species.
Origins & earliest records
Hans Stumme, Märchen der Schluḥ von Tázerwalt (Leipzig, 1895), tale 27, Die Geschichte von der Stieftochter und dem Igel: complete German pp. 180–182. Abdulla Ben Mhammed, dictating contributor; collection context Preface v–vi.
Records & interpretation
Complete German tale 27 and adjacent explanatory notes read through the narrated ending. This is a named-contributor collected witness; narrator claims and literary title are not treated as independent verification of historical events.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Märchen der Schluḥ von Tázerwalt
Tale 27: whole German pp. 180–182; contributor/collection Preface v–vi.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary collected narrative with German translation and contextual notesOriginal bilingual collection: Die Geschichte von der Stieftochter und dem IgelResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.