The story has become so popular, in fact, that people seem to forget that this fable originated with Aesop at the beginning of the sixth century BCE.
Read The Hare & the Tortoise Fable here.
(The original story is very short—shorter than most retellings you will find online!)
🐢 The Tortoise and the Hare Summary 🐇
A hare (rabbit) makes fun of a tortoise (turtle) for being slow. The tortoise challenges the hare to a race. The hare was so confident that he would beat the tortoise that he ran ahead and took a nap. The tortoise went slowly and steadily. He passed the hare and approached the finish line. The hare woke up in shock and ran as fast as he could, but he was unable to reach the finish line in time.
We often say the moral of the story is “slow and steady wins the race,” but Aesop described the lesson as “the race is not always to the swiftest.”
🐢 The Tortoise and the Hare Reflection Questions 🐇
- Why did the hare lose the race to the tortoise?
- What are some examples of overconfident hares in the world today?
- What are some examples of determined tortoises in the world today?
- How can you avoid acting like the hare in school, sports, or games?
- What are some things you can work on slowly and steadily in order to find success in school, sports, hobbies, and at home?
While you’re at it, read a few more of Aesop’s fables here.
Or if you are interested in reading some modern fables, check out one of my fable collections: Beatitales or Tales of the Ten Commandments. Before writing these fables each morning, I often read Aesop’s fables to get into the fable mindset. The messages and lessons were different, of course, but I hope I came close to his style and tone.
