Why Hares Have Long Ears (Siberia)

​Among all the animals, Great Elk and Elk-Wife were the most fearsome. One day, as Elk and
Elk-Wife were walking in the forest, Hare overheard their conversation. “I have a pair of old
antlers.” he told her. “I’d like to give them to someone but I don’t know who should have them.”

Hare thought how much he would like to wear antlers to cover his short ears. With such big
spikes he could not only frighten other animals, they would stop bothering him.

He was about to work up the courage to speak to Elk when Elk-Wife said, “Give one to
Reindeer, our relative.”

“Good idea,” said Elk, “but what about the other one.?”

Before Elk-Wife could answer, Hare spoke up. “Give it to me, Great Elk. Give it to me.”

“You?” he laughed. “What would you do with my antlers?”

“Wearing them, I would look so fierce all my enemies would be afraid and run away.”

“Well then,” Said Great Elk, “you may have them.”

Delighted, Hare put them on and pranced around until a little cone from a tree plopped on his
head. Surprised, Hare ran off, not looking where he was going and tangled himself in some
bushes. Try as he might, he couldn’t free himself.

Elk and Elk-Wife laughed as they watched Hare, thinking he was happily hopping this way and
that, but when they saw him stuck, they took pity on him. Great Elk said, “You are too small to
wear my antlers. From now on you shall have long ears, the better to hear who approaches you.”
​
And that is how Hare came to have long ears.