Tortoise and the hare

Tortoise and the hare

The hare is an animal related to the rabbit. It also happen to be a very beautiful animal with long beautiful ears and a shiny coat of fur. The hare is proud and always downgrade all the other animals’ especially the tortoise about its ugliness and speed.
Hare believes it is the fastest animal on earth, saying it is even faster than “Mercury the fleet footed messenger of the gods. Hare also thought that he should be named the god of speed and that other animals should worship him.
Tortoise watched all these with amusement. As a firm believer of intelligence he believed intelligence is better than strength. One day Tortoise grew tired of hare’s boastfulness and challenged him to a bet. They are to run a race and the winner will take the property of the loser. Hare laughs at this, saying “it will take you a year to run the distance I cover in a day.” Hare did not agree but Tortoise is persistence ad grew more forceful day after day. Eventually, Hare agreed thinking after all; Tortoise property will be mine.
When the day slated for the race arrived. Tortoise stationed his cousins at some intervals which he stood at the final lap. As the race proceeded Hare over confident in himself told the tortoise to race ahead that he wants to give him a head start.
Actually, this was Tortoise cousin, so when the cousin rounded a bend he hid himself in the bush. Hare started the race on the look out for Tortoise. It caught up with ‘him’ on the second lap. The surprised hare asked Tortoise “how did you manage to get this far”.
When I walk, I walk slowly and when I run, I run so fast that you can’t see me.” The tortoise replied.
Hare thought Tortoise was stupid and told him so, and then he gathered more speed and galloped away but not far away, ahead of him, on the third lap was another cousin of the tortoise.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Tortoise asked with a smile.
Hare did not bother to reply and he kept on running to the limit of his strength but alas! Just ahead of him was Tortoise about to cross the finish line.
Hare tried to summon more strength but he was already exhausted beyond limit and he fainted some distance to the finish line just as Tortoise crossed the finish line.
All the animals presented ran to Tortoise and congratulated him. Only the hare’s family ran to him they were ashamed. Hare lost the bet and his property.
He had learnt his lesson and was never boastful again.