The Hare and the Tortoise

A boastful Hare laughs at the slow Tortoise, so the Tortoise challenges him to a race. The Hare runs far ahead and takes a nap — and wakes up too late.

Scene 1: A Mocking Laugh

The Hare and the Tortoise. Once upon a time, a Hare was making fun of the Tortoise for being so slow. With a mocking laugh, the Hare asked: “Do you ever get anywhere?” The Tortoise answered: “Yes, and I get there sooner than you think. I’ll run you a race and prove it.” The Hare was much amused, but for the fun of the thing, he agreed.

Scene 2: Ready, Steady, Go!

So the Fox, who had agreed to be the judge, marked out the distance. The Fox called: “Ready… steady… go!” And he started the runners off.

Scene 3: A Nap by the Road

The Hare was soon far out of sight. To show the Tortoise how silly it was to race a Hare, he lay down beside the course. He would take a nap until the Tortoise caught up.

Scene 4: Slowly but Steadily

Meanwhile, the Tortoise kept going, slowly but steadily. After a time, he passed the place where the Hare was sleeping. But the Hare slept on very peacefully.

Scene 5: Too Late!

When at last the Hare woke up, the Tortoise was near the goal. The Hare cried: “Oh no!” The Hare now ran his swiftest.

Scene 6: Slow but Steady

But he could not overtake the Tortoise in time. The Tortoise had won the race! The Fox announced: “The winner… the Tortoise!” The race is not always to the swift. Or, as another old book says: slow but steady wins the race.

Moral: The race is not always to the swift. Slow but steady wins the race.

Questions about The Hare and the Tortoise

More stories to read aloud

• The Lion and the Mouse — A Lion catches a little Mouse but laughs and lets her go when she promises to repay him.
• Belling the Cat — The Mice hold a council and a young Mouse has a clever plan: hang a bell about the Cat’s neck.
• The Ant and the Grasshopper — All summer the Grasshopper plays his fiddle while the busy Ants store up grain.