One fine spring morning, a Hare came out of his nest to eat fresh grass. As he was eating, he saw a Tortoise nearby and he thought that the Tortoise walk was too funny. So the Hare started mocking the Tortoise and said that even the snails are faster. The Turtle stopped, looked at the Rabbit and told him:
-How about doing a little race? Then we will know who is the fastest!
That was it! The Rabbit fell down and started laughing harder and harder. Yet, the Turtle stayed serious, so the Rabbit realized it was not a joke and he accepted the challenge. The Fox was chosen as the perfect judge, set the starting point, the path that they would follow and the ending point of the running game.
They decided to do it on next morning. So, next morning, our two contestants were ready and along with them many forest animals who were curious to see what will happen. Fox announced: “On your marks. Get set. Go!”
The Tortoise did not waste time and immediately started walking. Slowly of course, but the Tortoise had already covered the first centimeters of that route. The Hare sit and watch the Tortoise go. He yawned and felt sleepy cause it was too early in the morning.
“I am too fast”, he thought to himself, “I could take a little nap and I will catch up with the Turtle later. I cannot lose I am the fastest animal in the forest”.
Thus the Hare fall asleep. The Tortoise continued walking, in a slow but steady rhythm, following the route that Fox had designated.
Later, the Rabbit woke up. “Now is the time to do the running”, he thought, “now I will win the race”. And the Rabbit run faster and faster. He felt puzzled, he expected to meet his opponent but the Turtle was nowhere to be seen. “Maybe the Turtle had quit”, he thought and continued running.
When the Hare got near the finish point, boy he was surprised! The Tortoise was already there, with a look of triumph on the face, and were chewing a green leaf. The Tortoise is the winner!
The Tortoise won the Hare on a running race, certainly not because he can run faster, but because the Tortoise stayed true to his purpose and showed no arrogance, like the Hare did.