Once upon a time, in a big, bustling forest, there lived a speedy Hare and a slow but steady Tortoise. The Hare loved to boast about how fast he could run, telling all the animals, “Nobody can beat me in a race! I’m the fastest!”
One day, the Tortoise, who was quietly munching on some leaves nearby, overheard the Hare bragging. Calmly, the Tortoise spoke up, “I’ll race you.”
The Hare laughed, thinking it was a joke. “You? Race me? That’s hilarious! I could zoom past you in a blink of an eye!”
But the Tortoise was determined. “Let’s race and see who wins.”
So, they set a course and marked a starting line. Ready, set, go! The Hare sprinted off like lightning, leaving the Tortoise far behind. Confident in his speed, the Hare decided to take a little break and rest, thinking there was no way the Tortoise could catch up.
Meanwhile, the Tortoise kept plodding along, slow and steady, one step at a time. He didn’t care about being the fastest; he just wanted to finish the race.
When the Hare woke up from his nap, he saw the Tortoise near the finish line. Panicked, he raced as fast as he could, but it was too late. The Tortoise had crossed the finish line first.
Breathless and surprised, the Hare realized that speed wasn’t everything. The Tortoise smiled and said, “Slow and steady wins the race.” And from that day on, all the animals in the forest learned an important lesson about patience and perseverance.
