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The Hare and the Tortoise

The Hare and the Tortoise
Retold by Glenn A. Hascall

I donï¿½t know if youï¿½ve ever heard a rabbit brag before, but there was one named Thomas who loved to tell others about how fast he could run.

A tortoise named Harry was always being teased because he was the slowest creature anyone knew. He was also teased because he was bald - as were most members of the tortoise family. No one could understand why his parents would name him Harry. Even Harry thought it was a bit odd.

There would come a day, however, when the tortoise had enough of the teasing, ï¿½Look, Thomas, I know youï¿½re fast - everyone knows it, but even you can be beaten!ï¿½

Thomas tried hard to laugh. After all, the slowest creature in the forest was telling him that someone could beat him in a race. After 317 races, Thomas had yet to loose a race. ï¿½Who can beat me?ï¿½ Thomas asked ï¿½Certainly it wouldnï¿½t be Harry the Tortoise. You all know I am the fastest animal in the forest. So, whoï¿½s willing to race me?ï¿½

The crowd of animals got very quiet as they all tried to think of someone who might stand a chance of winning.

Harry Tortoise thought it was rude to brag the way Thomas Rabbit was doing. ï¿½I accept your challenge.ï¿½

ï¿½You!ï¿½ Thomas snorted in laughter. ï¿½Ha! I will be at the finish line before you cross the starting line Harry.ï¿½

Some of the other animals laughed with the rabbit while others were tired of his bragging.

ï¿½Iï¿½ll do it,ï¿½ Harry replied.

The next day the animals gathered to watch the race. Thomas and Harry stood side by side at the starting line. Thomas yawned because he had stayed up late playing a video game.

When the race began, Thomas ran down the road, dust flying from his paws. He stopped by a lovely oak tree and noticed that Harry was nowhere to be seen. Thomas thought he could take a little bit of time to play his game. He opened his backpack and pulled out his game and began to play. It wasnï¿½t long before he became very sleepy and took a nap under the oak tree.

Thomas dreamed of the wonderful places in his game while Harry kept walking. When the rabbit woke from his nap he saw that Harry was only a short distance away. He hadnï¿½t even covered half of the race.

ï¿½Youï¿½re doing great,ï¿½ Thomas called out to Harry with a mean little chuckle.

ï¿½Why are you resting?ï¿½ Harry asked the rabbit.

ï¿½Why waste the shade of a good oak tree? Besides, Iï¿½ve got a game to play,ï¿½ Thomas grinned.

ï¿½And I have a race to win,ï¿½ Harry replied.

ï¿½Yeah, good luck with that,ï¿½ Thomas said as he began playing his game once more.

It wasnï¿½t long before Thomas fell asleep again. This time Thomas dreamed of how funny it was going to be when he won this race and proved that a rabbit could take two naps and still beat a tortoise. However, this time Thomas slept through the entire afternoon. When he awoke he saw that Harry was just a few feet away from the finish line. Thomas left his game and backpack and began to run faster than he had ever run. Thomas found it hard to breathe because he was running so fast. He was thirsty and he was tired, but he ran. He just couldnï¿½t let Harry win the race.

The picture in the morning paper showed the tortoise winning the race by a hair. No matter how fast Thomas was he still couldnï¿½t catch Harry in the end. Thomas was tired and embarrassed as Harry was lifted high on the shoulders of cheering animals. Thomas didnï¿½t win his 318th race and it was all his own fault.

ï¿½You know Iï¿½m faster than you,ï¿½ Thomas called to Harry.

ï¿½Maybe,ï¿½ Harry said with a smile, ï¿½but today, slow and steady won the race.ï¿½

THE END