who

boasting he can run faster than any one else

is forever teasing tortoise

for his slowness

then, one day

the irate tortoise answered back

who do you think you are?

there's no denying you are swift

but even you can be beaten!

the hare squealed with laughter!!

beaten in a race ? by whom ?

not you surely

I bet there is nobody in the world that can win against me, I am so speedy...

now why don't you try?

annoyed by such bragging,the tortoise accepted the challenge

a course is planned, and the next day at dawn, they stood at starting line.

the hare yawned sleepily, as the meek tortoise tried to slowly off

when the hare saw how painfully slow his rival was

he decided, half asleep on his feet, to have quick nap.

"take your time" he said..

I will have forty winks and catch up with you in minute.

the hare woke with a start from fitful sleep

and gazed around, looking for the tortoise

but the creature is only a short distance away

having barely covered the third of the course.

waiting aside, relieved. The hare decides, he might as well have his breakfast too..

and off he went to munch some cabbages he noticed in a near by field

but the heavy meal and hot sun made his eye lashes droop

with a careless glance of the tortoise, now half way along the course

he decided to have another snooze

before flashing past the winning post..

and smiling at the thought of the look on tortoise's face

when it saw the hare speed by, he fell asleep

and was soon snoring happily

the sun started to sink below the horizon

and the tortoise, who have been plotting towards the winning post since morning

now scarcely a yard from the finish

at that very point the hare woke with a jolt

he could see the tortoise a speck in a distance

and away he rashed

he left and bounded at a great rate

his tongue longing and gasping for breath

just a little more and he be first at the finish

but the hare's last leap was just too late.

The tortoise had beaten him to the winning post

poor hare

tired and in disgrace

he slumped down beside the tortoise who was silently smiling at him..

"slow and steady does it every time" he said

Turtle Interactive