In a forest there lived a hare who ran as fast as the wind — and all day long he bragged about it. “Nobody runs as fast as me! Nobody!”
One day a tortoise came plodding up. “Let's have a race, you and I.” The hare rolled over laughing. “You? Race me? Ha, ha, ha!”
The fox was the judge. “One… two… three — go!” And they were off! The hare shot away like lightning, while the tortoise set out at his own slow, steady plod — one foot, then the next.
Far ahead, the hare glanced back. The tortoise was nowhere in sight! “I'll just take a little nap,” he thought. “I could wake up late and still win.” And under a shady tree, he curled up and fell fast asleep.
But the tortoise did not stop. The sun blazed down — he kept on walking. The road turned rough and hard — he kept on walking. Dragging his tired old feet, step after patient step, he came upon the sleeping hare — and plodded right on past.
Suddenly the hare woke with a start. He ran with all his might — but too late! The tortoise had already crossed the finish line. And the whole forest burst out cheering. “The tortoise wins! The tortoise wins!”
The hare hung his head. “I was wrong.” The tortoise gave a gentle smile. “I went slowly — but I never once stopped.” And remember: slow and steady wins the race.
