The Tortoise and the Hare

Once upon a time, there was a hare who was always boasting about how fast he could run. He would make fun of the tortoise for being so slow.

“You are such a slowpoke!” the hare would say. “I could run circles around you!”

One day, the tortoise had enough of the hare’s bragging. “I challenge you to a race,” said the tortoise calmly.

The hare laughed so hard he nearly fell over. “You want to race me? This will be the easiest race I’ve ever won!”

All the animals in the forest gathered to watch the race. The wise old owl served as the judge and marked the starting line.

“On your mark, get set, go!” hooted the owl.

The hare shot forward like an arrow, leaving the tortoise far behind. He was so fast that he quickly disappeared from sight. Meanwhile, the tortoise began moving forward slowly but steadily, one step at a time.

After running for a while, the hare looked back and couldn’t even see the tortoise. “This is too easy,” he thought. “I have so much time that I could take a little nap and still win the race easily.”

So the hare lay down under a shady tree and fell fast asleep.

While the hare was sleeping, the tortoise kept moving. Step by step, he walked steadily along the path. He never stopped, never gave up, and never looked back.

Hours later, the hare woke up with a start. He looked down the path and couldn’t believe his eyes. There was the tortoise, just a few steps away from the finish line!

The hare jumped up and ran as fast as he could, but it was too late. The tortoise crossed the finish line just before the hare reached it.

All the animals cheered for the tortoise. The hare hung his head in shame, realizing that his overconfidence had cost him the race.

“Congratulations,” said the hare to the tortoise. “You taught me an important lesson today.”

The tortoise smiled kindly. “Sometimes, slow and steady wins the race.”

Moral: Consistency and perseverance often matter more than natural talent or speed. Overconfidence can lead to failure, while steady effort leads to success.