The Tortoise and the Hare: Short Story with a Moral

Hare loved to run. He raced his shadow across the meadow, leapt over fallen branches, and reached the stream before anyone else. He also loved to tell the other animals how fast he was.

One morning he saw Tortoise walking along the path. “At that speed,” Hare laughed, “you might reach the meadow by next spring!” Tortoise stopped and looked up. “I reach the places I set out for,” she said. “Would you like to race?”

Hare’s ears stood straight up. A race against Tortoise? He could hardly believe it. But the other animals had heard the challenge, and soon everyone gathered by the old tree. Fox marked a finish line beside the bridge and explained the route.

Tortoise checked that the path was clear. Hare stretched his legs. “Ready?” called Fox. “Go!”

Hare sprang forward. In a moment, he had crossed the meadow and disappeared around the bend. Tortoise took one step, then another. Her shell rocked gently as she walked.

Far ahead, Hare glanced back. There was no sign of Tortoise. “I have plenty of time,” he thought. Beside the path was a soft patch of grass under a shady tree. He decided to rest there for just a minute.

The shade was cool. The grass was comfortable. Hare closed his eyes, and before long he was fast asleep.

Tortoise kept walking. She passed the meadow flowers and the fallen branch. When the path grew stony, she chose her steps carefully. She was not trying to run like Hare. She was simply moving toward the bridge.

Eventually she reached the shady tree. Hare was still sleeping. Tortoise went quietly past and continued along the path. The bridge was now close enough to see.

A cheer woke Hare. He jumped to his feet and saw Tortoise near the finish line. He ran faster than he had all morning. His paws drummed against the ground. His ears streamed behind him.

But Tortoise had only a few steps left. One step, then another—and she crossed the line. The animals cheered as Hare arrived beside her, breathing hard.

For a moment, Hare stared at the bridge. Then he looked at Tortoise. “You kept going,” he said. “And I thought being fast meant I did not have to try.”

“You are a good runner,” Tortoise replied. “But you still have to finish the journey.” Hare nodded. “I am sorry I laughed at you.”

The two animals walked back together. This time Hare did not rush ahead. He noticed the meadow flowers Tortoise had passed and the cool shade beside the path. There were things to enjoy at her pace, too.

Steady effort matters, and being good at something is not a reason to dismiss someone else. The fable is often remembered as “slow and steady wins the race.” It does not mean that being fast is bad; Hare loses because he stops taking the race seriously.

Ask your child: “What is something you are learning one small step at a time?” You might share an example of your own, such as practising a song or caring for a plant.