Pratt: The Hare and the Tortoise.

"If I were such a slow creature as you are!" cried a hare as she saw a tortoise crawling along. "But for all that," answered the tortoise, "I think it very likely I could beat you in a race." "Beat me in a race!" screamed the little hare. "Yes, beat you in a race," answered the tortoise. "I'd like to see you beat me in a race!" sneered the hare, his very ears growing taller at the thought. "Let us try it," said the tortoise. "Agreed," answered the hare. "Let us start from this post. We will run one mile. Come, Mr. Fox, you shall be the judge." "Ready! One — two — three — go!" cried the fox. Away leaped the hare. On plodded the tortoise. "O it is too hot a day to run," said the hare to himself, as he had half reached the goal. "I'll lie down under this shady tree and rest. That stupid tortoise will not be along for hours yet." So the hare lay down to rest. Meantime the tortoise had plodded steadily on and had reached the goal. "Oho!" yawned the lazy little hare, as he awoke from his long nap. "Where is that tortoise now, I wonder?" "At the goal ten minutes ago," sneered Mr. Fox. "Next time yon brag — " But the little hare had already hid himself in the forest and was far beyond the reach of the fox's laugh. "What a fool I was!" said he to himself as he sat down beneath a tree to think of it. "Swift as I am, to let that patient, plodding tortoise get ahead of me!"

Source: Mara Pratt's Aesop 23.

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Click here for a SLIDESHOW of all the Harrison Weir images. You can see the turtle heading for the finish line in the background!

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