"The Tortoise and the Hare" from Aesop's Fables

Click to see Vol. I, Issue 11 of the newsletter in which this article first appeared.

Listen to the audio of this article!

This article is designed for younger readers, with activities more suitable for children. It is from Aesop's Fables.

One day, a Hare made fun of the short legs and slow speed of the Tortoise. But the Tortoise just laughed and said: "You are as fast as the wind, but I will beat you in a race anyway."

The Hare thought this was impossible, so he agreed to the race. They decided that their friend the Fox should choose the course and set the finish line.

On the day of the race the two lined up. When the Fox said "GO!" the two started together. The Tortoise never stopped, even for a moment. She went on with slow but steady steps straight to the finish line.

But the Hare lay down by the side of the road and fell asleep! When he woke up, he ran as fast as he could. But he saw that the Tortoise had already run the race. She was taking a nap because she was tired from walking so far.

Moral: Slow but steady wins the race.

--------

Some words to talk about:

• finish line: the place that marks the end of a race
• hare: an animal like a rabbit
• moral: the lesson we can learn from a story
• nap: a short sleep
• steady: without stopping
• tortoise: an animal like a turtle

---

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER:

Choose the best answer. Correct answers are in the first comment below.

1. What did the Hare say about the Tortoise in the beginning?
      A. The Hare said the Tortoise had long legs.
      B. The Hare said the Tortoise moved too slowly.
      C. The Hare said the Tortoise should take a nap.
2. What did the Tortoise say to that?
      A. The Tortoise said the Hare should take a nap.
      B. The Tortoise laughed and said she could beat the Hare in a race.
      C. The Tortoise said the Hare should be friends with the Fox.
3. Why did the Hare agree to the race?
      A. The Hare agreed because he thought it was impossible for the Tortoise to win.
      B. The Hare agreed because the Tortoise laughed at him.
      C. The Hare agreed because he thought he was the best at everything.
4. How did the Hare lose the race?
      A. The Hare lost because he laughed at the Tortoise.
      B. The Hare lost because he thought the Tortoise had short legs.
      C. The Hare lost because he lay down to sleep.
5. How did the Tortoise win the race?
      A. The Tortoise won because she was faster than the Hare.
      B. The Tortoise won because she took a nap.
      C. The Tortoise won because she didn't stop.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:

These questions do not have "right" or "wrong" answers. They only ask your opinion.

1. Why did the Tortoise and Hare decide that "their friend the Fox should choose the course and set the finish line"?
2. Why do you think the Hare lay down to sleep?
3. How do you think the Hare felt at the end of the story? How did the Tortoise feel?
4. The lesson (the "moral") of this story is, "Slow but steady wins the race." Do you agree? Is it always true?