The Hare was once boasting to the other animals about how fast he could run.

"I have never yet been beaten," he said , "When I go full speed nobody is as fast as me and I challenge anyone here to race with me."

 

The Tortoise smiled and said quietly, "Hare my good friend, I accept your challenge."

"That's a good joke," said the Hare "I could dance around you all the way to the finish line and still beat you."

Tortoise smiled,

"Keep your boasting till you've won the race," answered Tortoise. "Shall we begin?"

 

So the Hare and the Tortoise agreed a course, they would start by the river, race across the field, through the woods and back to the riverbank where they started from.

The Hare did some warm up exercises, he stretched and jogged on the spot.

Tortoise just smiled...

Owl cleared his throat,

"Ready, Steady, Go!" he squawked

Hare was amazing, he darted across the field and into the woods and vanished out of sight.

Tortoise just smiled and started walking, slowly but surely humming to himself happily as he plodded across the field.

Soon Hare stopped and looked over his shoulder, Tortoise was nowhere to be seen.

"Tortoise is so slow, how did he ever think he could beat me?" he said, "I'm the fastest animal for miles around, and soon everyone including Tortoise will have to agree!"

Believing that Tortoise could never catch him, Hare lay down in a lovely warm pile of soft scrunchy leaves.

"I'll just take a little nap" he said,"Tortoise is so slow that I have time to take a well earned rest and when I've had a little sleep I'll still have time to beat him to the finish line"

With the warm sun shining down on Hare's face and the gentle breeze blowing through his soft fluffy coat he nodded off to sleep.

Tortoise plodded on, he was still humming a cheerful tune and smiling, never stopping for a rest, slowly but surely he was getting closer and closer to where Hare lay asleep.

Hare was snoring, fast asleep, dreaming about how he would win the prize for being the fastest animal in the land, and imagining collecting his prize, a beautiful silver trophy.

Tortoise got closer, and closer

Before long, Tortoise saw Hare lying in the leaves, he smiled and quietly plodded past Hare without making a noise

An hour passed, and then another,

Hare still lay fast asleep, dreaming about how one day he would be the fastest creature in the whole world!

Tortoise was still smiling, he plodded out of the woods and back across the field towards the river and the finishing line.

Hare woke up from his nap, he stretched and yawned and looked out of the woods from his comfortable pile of warm scrunchy leaves.

"That looks just like Tortoise over there" he thought to himself,

"Oh my goodness, that is Tortoise" he shouted,

Hare leapt to his feet and started to run, he ran out of the woods and started back across the field,

Tortoise was still smiling, Owl was cheering and by now lots of other animals had gathered to see who would win the great race.

Hare ran as fast as he could, but it was too late. He saw that Tortoise had already reached the finish line.

The other animals cheered and Tortoise was declared the winner, just as Hare arrived, looking a little bit embarrassed at how silly he had been.

"I'm sorry Tortoise" said Hare "I shouldn't have boasted and been such a show off, I was wrong and you are indeed the winner of the race"

Tortoise smiled..

"Hare, that's a very nice thing to say" said Tortoise, "just remember that sometimes slow and steady wins the race."

Hare smiled, and started to laugh

Tortoise Smiled, and started to laugh

All of the animals smiled and started to laugh.

And do you know to this day Hare has never been boastful again, he doesn't show off anymore and all of the other animals think he's a much nicer chap, as for Tortoise, well he's still smiling.

The End