“The Hare and the Tortoise” is probably one of the best-known fables attributed to Aesop . Later rewritten by the fabulists Jean de La Fontaine and Félix María Samaniego, it tells the story of a hare and a tortoise who challenge each other to a race to see which of the two is faster. On the day of the race, the hare starts with an advantage and in a short time, manages to overtake his competitor. Knowing that she was practically the winner, she decides to sit down and rest, not realizing that sometimes those in front don’t go far if those in back run well.
A very beautiful story that teaches children the importance of being humble, of striving for a goal and of giving their best at every moment. It is a criticism of arrogance, pride and arrogance that conveys a fundamental message: sometimes by going slowly you can go very far in life, as the Italian proverb “Chi va piano va sana e va lontano” summarizes , it is say, that whoever goes little by little, goes safely and goes far. A fable full of lessons for the future that, without a doubt, all children should know.
The story “The Hare and the Tortoise”
Once upon a time there was a hare and a tortoise who lived in the countryside. The hare was famous among animals for being very fast and spent the day running from one side to the other without stopping, while the tortoise always walked with slow and tired steps, because in addition to having to support the weight of its large shell, it did not he was too agile.
The hare found it very amusing to see the tortoise dragging its chubby legs so slowly, when a little push was enough for her to jump from one place to another with great agility. That is why, when they happened to pass each other in the field, the hare always laughed at her and used to make mocking comments that did not sit well with the tortoise.
– I hope you’re not in too much of a hurry, turtle friend! Ha, ha, ha! the hare roared with laughter. At that rate you won’t get anywhere on time. What will you do the day you have to get to your destination soon? Hurry up! Let’s go!
The tortoise always ignored his teasing comments. However, one day he got so fed up that he decided to face the hare once and for all.
– You will be as fast as the wind, but I assure you that I am capable of winning a race for you – said the tortoise with conviction.
– Hahaha! But how funny! If even a snail is faster than you! You wouldn’t beat me even if it were at your own pace – answered the hare laughing out loud.
– If you are so sure – the turtle insisted – why don’t we try and have a race?
– Whenever you want! Overall, I’m sure I’ll win – answered the hare mockingly.
– Well, very good! We’ll see each other tomorrow then at this same time next to the field of flowers and we’ll see who is faster of the two, do you think? – She told him.
– Perfect! – The hare agreed winking at him, in a gesture of insolence and arrogance.
Then, the hare hopped off and the tortoise walked away with the same tranquility as always, each one on their own. The news spread like wildfire and the farm animals soon found out about the challenge. Doubtful about the result, they decided to go to the meeting point to see with their own eyes the result of the race.
The next day the hare and the tortoise were the first to arrive at the place they had agreed on. The rest of the animals also attended, since the news of the curious race had reached the ends of the forest. In fact, during the night, a family of worms was in charge of making furrows in the ground to mark the competition track. Meanwhile, the fox was chosen to mark the start and finish lines, while a crow prepared to be the referee.
When everything was ready, the raven shouted “Ready, set, go”, and the hare and the tortoise began the race. The tortoise left at a slow pace, as was usual for her. Instead, the hare bolted like never before. However, after a good stretch, he stopped and seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he stopped to wait for her and, incidentally, once again made fun of her.
– Come on, turtle, faster, I’m bored! I’ll wait for you here – she yelled, faking a yawn.
Finally, the tortoise caught up with the hare and the hare jumped back a few feet to be a few meters ahead. Again he waited for the tortoise, who took several minutes to get to where he was because no matter how fast he was, he couldn’t walk very fast.
– I told you, turtle! It is impossible that a being as slow as you can compete with an animal as agile as me. I’ll beat you and you know it.
Along the way, the hare stopped several times to wait for the tortoise, convinced that he would just have to run a little at the last moment to get there first. However, at one of those stops, something unexpected happened.
A few meters from the finish line, the hare sat under a tree and, being so bored, fell asleep. Taking short but sure steps, the tortoise reached where she was and continued on its way to the goal. When the tortoise was about to cross the finish line, the hare woke up and ran as fast as she could, but there was nothing to do. She watched in amazement and helplessness as the tortoise rose to victory while she was cheered by all the animals in the field.
The hare, for the first time in his life, felt ashamed for his lack of humility and his excess of arrogance, he apologized to the tortoise and never laughed at her again.