Once upon a time, in a sunny meadow, there lived a hare and a tortoise. The hare had long, strong legs and big ears. He could run very fast and he was very proud of it. The tortoise had a round shell and short legs. He walked very slowly, step by step, but he was calm and patient. One day the hare laughed at the tortoise. 'You are so slow!' he said. 'I could run around the whole meadow before you even cross this little path.' The tortoise looked at him kindly and answered, 'Maybe I am slow, but I always keep going. I do not stop.' The hare giggled and said, 'Let us have a race! Then everyone will see how fast I am.' The tortoise nodded quietly. 'All right,' he said. 'Let us race.'
The other animals in the meadow grew very excited. The birds sat in the trees to watch. The squirrels and rabbits came close. A little fox drew a line in the dust for the start and pointed to a big rock far away as the finish. 'Ready, set, go!' called the fox. In a flash, the hare leaped forward. His feet flew over the ground. Soon he was far, far ahead. The tortoise began to walk slowly. Step, step, step. He did not hurry. He just kept moving toward the big rock. All the animals watched with wonder as the hare disappeared into the distance while the tortoise moved along at his own steady pace.
After a while, the hare looked back. The tortoise was very far behind, just a tiny spot in the distance. The hare laughed to himself. 'I am so fast!' he thought. 'I have plenty of time. I will lie down and rest under this shady tree. Then I will still win easily.' The sun was warm and the grass was soft. The hare curled up in the cool shade, closed his eyes, and soon fell fast asleep. He dreamed of winning the race and all the animals cheering for him. Meanwhile, in the sunny meadow, nothing stirred except the gentle breeze.
In the quiet meadow, the tortoise kept going. Step, step, step. He passed a patch of pretty flowers. He passed a little bubbling stream. He was tired, but he did not stop. 'I will just keep going,' he said to himself. 'Slow and steady, one step at a time.' The sun moved slowly across the blue sky. The birds sang their gentle songs. And still the tortoise walked on, never stopping, never rushing, just moving forward with patience and determination. At last, the tortoise came near the shady tree. There he saw the hare, still sleeping soundly on the soft ground.
The tortoise did not laugh at the sleeping hare. He did not stop to rest. He walked quietly past the tree and kept going toward the big rock. Step, step, step. A little later, the hare woke up and stretched his long legs. He yawned and looked toward the finish line. To his great surprise, he saw the tortoise very close to the big rock! 'Oh no!' cried the hare. 'I slept too long!' He jumped up and ran as fast as he could. His legs moved like the wind, faster and faster. But it was too late.
With one last slow, steady step, the tortoise touched the big rock. He crossed the finish line just before the hare arrived. All the animals cheered loudly. 'The tortoise has won the race!' they cried happily. The hare reached the rock, breathing hard. He felt sad and a little ashamed. 'I was sure I would win,' he said. 'I ran so fast at the start.' The tortoise looked at him gently and said, 'You are very fast, but you stopped because you were too sure of yourself. I am slow, but I kept going. Slow and steady wins the race.' The hare nodded. 'You are right,' he said. 'I have learned my lesson.' From that day on, the hare tried not to boast, and the tortoise walked proudly through the meadow, knowing that patience and effort can carry you very far indeed.
