One sunny day, in a large green field, a boastful hare was talking to his friends about his speed. “I can run faster than any of you,” he said. “I bet I can win any race that you give me.” Mao the mouse laughed at the hare’s bragging. “You may be very fast, Hare,” he said, “but I think the tortoise would win a race against you.” This made the hare very angry.
“Hah! That slow, stupid tortoise!” he replied. “Let him have the chance. I bet a dozen carrots against a sack of seeds that I finish the race before she gets halfway!” The bet was accepted, Tina the tortoise was called in, and a time was fixed for the race.
The next morning, the hare started off, keeping well ahead of Tina the tortoise. Finding himself far in front at noon, he thought he would take a nap for an hour or two. “The tortoise is so far away from me,” he said to himself, “that there is no danger of her winning today.” The hare soon sank into a sound sleep.
After some hours, Mao the crafty mouse came up to the little tortoise that was plodding steadily forward. “Hare is sleeping under a shady tree nearby,” he said. The tortoise smiled. “No matter how far ahead he is,” she said, “he cannot win the race if he does not run!” She continued her slow but steady pace.
The sun was setting when Hare awoke from his nap. “I must go at once!” he thought. Off he dashed, but it was too late. When he got near the winning post, he could see that Tina the tortoise was just about to pass it, slowly but surely. Tina the tortoise won the race because she was steady and had patience.
Thus, the slow and steady tortoise won the race against the fast and overconfident hare, teaching everyone the valuable lesson that patience and perseverance can lead to success in life.