One sunny day, a small tortoise sat by a tree. He had tiny round glasses on his nose. He liked to take slow walks and look at flowers. A fast brown hare in a red jersey ran past him. "Hey slow poke!" said the hare. "You are too slow to do anything fun!" The tortoise smiled. "I may be slow, but I can still win a race." The hare laughed. "You? Race me? That's silly!" "Let's try," said the tortoise. "We can race to the big oak tree on the hill." The hare thought this was very funny. "Ok, old tortoise. But first, what will you do to get ready for the race?"
The tortoise nodded and began to stretch his legs. He moved slowly and carefully, making sure each muscle was ready. He did small circles with his neck and stretched his arms. "Ha ha!" laughed the hare. "Look at you being so slow even before the race!" But the tortoise kept stretching. He knew it was good to warm up before a big race. When he felt ready, he smiled at the hare. "Now I won't get any cramps during our race," said the tortoise. The hare just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's get this over with. Fox can be our judge!" A wise old fox came to help start the race. He drew a line in the dirt. "Racers, take your spots!" said Fox. "How will you start the race, tortoise?"
The tortoise moved to the starting line and took a deep breath. He knew his plan: slow and steady wins the race. "On your mark... get set... GO!" called Fox. The hare zoomed away in a flash of brown fur and red jersey. Dust flew up behind him as he ran. The tortoise began walking at his normal pace. Step by step, he moved forward. He did not try to go fast. He did not worry about the hare. "See you later, slowpoke!" the hare yelled back, laughing. The tortoise just smiled and kept going. He saw the hare get smaller and smaller up ahead. After a while, the hare stopped under a shady tree. He looked back and saw the tortoise far behind. "Ha! I'm so far ahead, I can take a little nap," said the hare. He lay down in the soft grass. The tortoise kept walking. He saw the hare sleeping under the tree.
The tortoise smiled and walked very quietly past the sleeping hare. His small feet made no sound on the soft grass. Step by step, he moved forward on the path. The hare did not wake up. He was snoring loudly under the tree, his red jersey rising and falling as he breathed. The tortoise kept going. The big oak tree was getting closer. He could see its tall branches reaching into the sky. "Almost there," he whispered to himself. "Just keep moving." The sun was warm, but the tortoise did not stop. He saw some nice flowers and a cool stream, but he kept walking. He knew what was important. Then he heard something behind him. The hare was starting to wake up!
The hare jumped up with a start. His eyes went wide when he saw the tortoise ahead of him on the path. "Oh no!" he cried. He ran as fast as he could. But the tortoise was too close to the oak tree. Step by step, he walked up the hill. The big oak tree was right there. The hare ran and ran, but it was too late. The tortoise touched the oak tree trunk with his small foot. "I win," said the tortoise softly, smiling behind his tiny glasses. The hare stopped running. His red jersey was covered in dust. He looked sad. "You won fair and square," said the hare. "I'm sorry I made fun of you. I learned that being fast isn't everything." "Would you like to walk home with me?" asked the tortoise kindly. "We can look at the flowers together." The hare smiled. "Yes, please. And maybe you can teach me about taking my time." So the tortoise and the hare walked home together, new friends who learned that slow and steady really does win the race.
