The Tortoise and the Hare
by Aesop · about 600 BC · 1 min read
The Tortoise and the Hare by Aesop is a fable in which a slow Tortoise challenges a fast Hare to a race and wins. The Hare begins by mocking the Tortoise’s short feet and slow movement. Laughing in reply, the Tortoise declares that she can beat him, even though he can run as quickly as the wind. The Hare thinks her claim is impossible but agrees to race. They decide that the Fox will choose the course and set the goal. On the appointed day, the Tortoise and the Hare start together. The Tortoise moves slowly but steadily, never stopping as she follows the course toward its end. Meanwhile, the Hare lies down beside the way and falls sound asleep. When he finally wakes, he runs as fast as he can. He discovers that the Tortoise has already reached the goal and is resting comfortably after her effort.
A hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise, who replied, laughing: “Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race.” The Hare, believing her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course and fix the goal. On the day appointed for the race the two started together. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The Hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue.
Slow but steady wins the race.
What it means
The stated moral is “Slow but steady wins the race.” The story shows that steady effort can accomplish more than natural speed when that speed is not put to use. The Hare treats the Tortoise’s slow pace as proof that she cannot win. His decision to sleep during the race leaves his advantage unused. The Tortoise, by contrast, keeps moving without a single stop. Her success comes from continuing toward the goal rather than matching the Hare’s speed. The ending also reverses their positions: the Hare must hurry, while the animal he mocked has finished and can rest.
Three questions to think about
- How does the Hare’s response to the challenge reveal his expectations about the race?
- What difference does the timing of each animal’s rest make to the outcome?
- How do the Tortoise’s actions during the race support the stated moral?
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