The Tortoise and the Hare

      One bright, sunny morning a tortoise–we shall call him Mr Tortoise– was taking a walk when suddenly he met a hare. Now he did not like this hare at all, for he was very sarcastic, and always laughed at the tortoise. Nevertheless, the tortoise smiled and greeted him, "Good morning, Mr Hare. How are you?"

     The hare did not answer, but as soon as he saw the tortoise, he began to laugh very loudly.

"Oh, oh. I can't help laughing at you, Mr Tortoise!"

    "Why, what's so funny?"

    "You!   You   are   so   slow,   Mr Tortoise."

     "Me? Slow? Who says I'm slow?" asked the tortoise.

   "I do," answered the hare. "With those funny legs of yours you certainly can't run, you can only walk."

     "But there's nothing the matter with my legs." 

    "Well, I don't know whether one can call them legs or not. They're so short and look so funny. I   don't understand how you can get about at all!"

     The tortoise got very angry, but he just smiled. He walked on saying, "Goodbye, Mr Hare. See you again."

"Wait a moment, Mr Tortoise. Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm just taking a walk."

     "Oh? You certainly can't walk very far, though, can you?"

       Hearing this the tortoise became angrier still, but he pretended to be calm.

      "Look," he said, "why don't you stop teasing me and making fun of me? I'm sure I can run as fast as you can."

      At this the hare laughed so loudly that he was unable to answer the tortoise immediately.

     "You? As fast as me? Poor Mr Tortoise, don't you know that I'm the fastest creature in the forest?

      "We shall see," said the tortoise. "I have a good plan. Do you see that tree over there on the top of the hill?"

       "Yes, I do."

      "Now, let's have a race and see which of us can reach that tree first. It's a very long way off, but it will prove which of us can run the faster."

        The hare stopped laughing and asked, "Are you serious, Mr Tortoise?"

    "Of course I am," answered the tortoise. "Let's begin the race right away!"

One, two, three! The tortoise and the hare were off. Of course the tortoise was quickly left far behind by the hare.

       When the hare had run for about half an hour he thought, "I think I will just lie down here to rest a while. I've made myself tired running so fast. Anyway, it will take a very long for the tortoise to get here. I can't even see him. When he comes, I will jump up and run away from him again. What a fool Mr Tortoise is to have a race with me, the fastest creature on legs!"

       So the hare lay down to rest, and soon was fast asleep. He slept for hours and hours! And he did not hear the tortoise passing quietly.

It was already late in the afternoon

when the hare woke up.

     "Goodness!" he cried out. "It's nearly dark! Where's Mr Tortoise?"

He looked up towards the hill and saw the tortoise, very far off and very small!

    "Mr Tortoise can be only a few metres from the tree by now! I must hurry!"

        And the hare started to run just as fast as he could go. He ran and ran with all his might to get to the tree first. Ten minutes more! Three minutes more... two minutes more... one minute... thirty seconds... ten second... three... two... one! At that moment the tortoise reached the tree! And so he was the first to arrive at the tree! The hare was late... only one second!

   Ashamed, tired and very exhausted because of running so very fast, the hare rolled over on the ground and died!

Posted in: Fable,Stories