Once upon a time, there was a speedy hare who loved to boast about how fast he could run. One sunny morning, he spotted a tortoise slowly walking along the path. The hare laughed loudly and called out, “Hey, Tortoise, you’re so slow! I bet you can’t even run!”
The tortoise, wise and calm, looked up and said, “I may be slow, but I bet I can beat you in a race.”
The hare burst out laughing, “You? Beat me? That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard! Let’s do it then. Let’s race!”
The fox, who was their friend, agreed to set the course and be the judge. “Ready, set, go!” shouted the fox, and off they went.
The hare zoomed off, his legs a blur as he raced down the path. The tortoise started plodding along, slow and steady, just as he always did.
Before long, the hare was so far ahead that he decided to take a nap. “I’m so fast, I can afford a little rest,” he thought as he lay down under a shady tree and soon fell fast asleep.
Meanwhile, the tortoise kept moving, one slow step at a time, never stopping. He passed the sleeping hare, quietly and steadily making his way to the finish line.
When the hare finally woke up, he saw the tortoise nearing the finish line. He jumped up and ran as fast as he could, but it was too late. The tortoise had already crossed the finish line.
The fox declared, “The tortoise wins!”
The hare couldn’t believe it. “How did you do it?” he asked, puzzled and a little embarrassed.
The tortoise smiled and said, “Slow and steady wins the race.”
