The Tortoise and the Hare

In Sunnydale Meadow lived Harry Hare and Timmy Tortoise. *Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!* went Harry, hopping fast around the meadow. *Step... step... step...* went Timmy, walking slow and steady. "Look how FAST I am!" shouted Harry. *Hop! Hop! Hop!* "I'm the speediest animal ever!" Timmy smiled quietly. He wasn't fast, but he never gave up. One sunny morning, Harry zoomed past Timmy. *Whoosh!* "Still walking to the pond?" laughed Harry. "I've been there ten times already!" "We each go our own way," said Timmy calmly. "Ha! I bet I could race to the big hill and back before you even get to that flower!" All the meadow animals gasped. The big hill was very, very far away! "Let's have a race and see," said Timmy quietly. Harry's ears popped up. "You want to race ME? That's silly!" "Tomorrow morning," said Timmy. "From the old tree to the big hill and back." "You're on!" laughed Harry. *Hop! Hop! Hop!* That night, Timmy ate his dinner and went to bed early. Harry stayed up late, bragging to his friends. When the sun came up, all the animals gathered to watch. "Ready... set... GO!" hooted Wise Owl. *ZOOM!* Harry shot away like lightning! *Step... step... step...* Timmy began walking. Harry reached the big hill super fast. He looked back but couldn't see Timmy anywhere. "This is too easy!" Harry yawned. "I have time for a little nap." The warm sun made Harry sleepy. *Yawn!* He curled up under a soft dandelion. "Just a quick rest," he mumbled. "Timmy is so slow..." *Snore... snore... snore...* Harry fell fast asleep. But what about Timmy? *Step... step... step...* He never stopped walking! *Step... step... step...* Up the hill he went. *Step... step... step...* Down the other side. When Timmy saw Harry sleeping, he smiled and kept walking. *Step... step... step...* The sun got higher and higher. A butterfly tickled Harry's nose. *Flutter, flutter!* "Oh no!" Harry jumped up. "How long was I sleeping?" He saw Timmy in the distance, almost at the finish line! *Zoom! Zoom! ZOOM!* Harry ran faster than ever before. But it was too late. *Step... step... step...* Timmy crossed the finish line first! "Timmy wins!" hooted Owl. "Hooray for Timmy!" cheered all the animals. *Clap! Clap! Clap!* Harry's ears drooped. "But... but... I'm so much faster!" "Being fast is wonderful," said Timmy kindly. "But I kept going, step by step, and never stopped." Harry nodded. "You're right. I got sleepy because I didn't try my best." "Want to race again next week?" asked Timmy with a twinkle in his eye. Harry grinned. "Yes! And this time, no napping!" From that day on, Harry learned that trying your best from start to finish is just as important as being fast. And Timmy? Well, he just kept going *step... step... step...* with a big smile on his face. The End

About The Tortoise and the Hare

The Tortoise and the Hare Story Meaning & Lessons

Trying Your Best All the Way: You know how Harry was super fast but he took a nap during the race? Sometimes being really good at something isn't enough - you also have to keep trying your best until you're all done! Just like when you're cleaning up your toys or finishing a puzzle, it's important to keep going until the job is finished.

Slow and Steady Can Win Too: Timmy wasn't the fastest, but he never gave up! He just kept going step... step... step... without stopping. Sometimes when things feel hard or take a long time, remember Timmy - if you keep trying little by little, you might surprise yourself with what you can do!

Being Kind When You Win or Lose: Did you notice how Timmy was nice to Harry even after he won the race? And how Harry said "congratulations" even though he felt sad about losing? That's what good friends do - they're kind to each other whether they win or lose, and they're always ready to try again together!

Did you know? Did you know that the story of story of the tortoise and the hare is one of the oldest in the world? It was first told by a man named Aesop over 2,000 years ago in ancient Greece! That means kids just like you have been hearing about a speedy rabbit racing a slow turtle for hundreds and hundreds of years. Even your great-great-great-great-grandparents might have heard this same story when they were little! It's been told so many times because the lesson about never giving up is important for kids everywhere, no matter when or where they live.