The Tortoise and The Rabbit
One bright, sunny morning a tortoise – we shall call him Mr Tortoise – was taking a walk when suddenly he met a rabbit. Now he did not like this rabbit at all, for he was very sarcastic, and always laughed at the tortoise. Nevertheless, the tortoise smiled and greeted him, “Good morning, Mr Rabbit. How are you?”
The rabbid did not answer, but as soon as he saw the tortoise, he began to laugh very loudly.
“Oh, oh, I can’t help laughing at you, Mr Tortoise!”
“Why, what’s so funny?”
“You! You are so slow, Mr Tortoise.”
“Me? Slow? Who says I’m slow?” asked the tortoise.
“I do,” answered the rabbit. “With those funny legs of yours you certainly can’t run, you can only walk.”
“But there’s nothing the matter with my legs.”
“Well, I don’t know whether one can call them legs or not. They’re so short and so funny looking. I don’t understand how you can get about at all!”
The tortoise got very angry, but he just smiled. He walked on saying, “Good bye, Mr Rabbit. See you again.”
“Wait a moment, Mr Tortoise. Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m just taking a walk.”
“Oh? You can certainly can’t walk very far, though, can you?”
Hearing this the tortoise became angrier still, but he pretended to be calm.
“Look,” he said. “Why don’t you stop teasing me and making fun of me? I’m sure I can run as fast as you can.”
At this the rabbit laughed so loudly that he was unable to answer the tortoise immediately.
“You? As fast as me? Poor Mr Tortoise, don’t you know that I’m the fastest creature in the forest?”
“We shall see,” said the tortoise. “I have a good plan. Do you see that tree over there on the top of the hill?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Now, let’s have a race and see which of us can reach that tree first. It’s a very long way off, but it will prove which of us can run the faster.”
The rabbit stopped laughing and asked, “Are you serious, Mr Tortoise?”
“Of course I am,” answered the tortoise. “Let’s begin the race right away!”
One, two, three! The tortoise and the rabbit were off. Off course the tortoise was quickly left far behind by the rabbit.
When the rabbit had run for about half an hour he thought, “I think I will just lie down here to rest a while, I’ve made myself hot, running so fast. Anyway, it will take a very long time for the tortoise to get here. I can’t even see him. When he comes. I will jump up and run away from him again. What a fool is Mr Tortoise to have a race with me, the fastest creature on legs!”
So the rabbit lay down to rest, and soon was fast asleep. He was fast asleep for hours and hours! And he did not hear the tortoise passing quietly.
It was already late in the afternoon when the rabbit woke up.
“Goodness!” he cried out. “It’s nearly dark! Where’s Mr Tortoise?”
He looked up towards the hill and saw the tortoise, very far off and very small!
“Mr Tortoise can be only a few meters from the tree by now! I must hurry!”
And the rabbit started to run just as fast as he could go. He ran and ran with all his might to get to the tree first. Ten minutes more.. ! Three minutes more.. two minutes.. one minute.. thirty seconds.. ten seconds.. three.. two.. one..!!!
At that moment the tortoise reached the tree! And so he was the first to arrive at the tree! The rabbit was late.. only one second!
Ashamed, tired and very exhausted because of running so very fast, the rabbit rolled over on the ground and died!
Dear Reader, the morals of this story are very clear.
First of all, do not laugh at anyone who seems inferior to you. You may prove to be inferior one.
Secondly, when you make up your mind to achieve something, work on and on, slowly but surely, and never stop!
