The Hare and the Tortoise
A mocking hare naps mid-race while a tortoise keeps walking; the slow runner reaches the goal before the sleeper wakes up.
A hare laughed at a tortoise for moving so slowly. “Race me,” said the tortoise. “I bet I win.” The hare, amused, agreed. A fox marked the course and stood ready to judge.
They started together. The hare shot far ahead, then decided he had time to rest. He lay down and fell asleep. The tortoise walked on without stopping and reached the finish.
When the hare jerked awake and raced for the goal, the tortoise was already there.
Slow and steady wins the race.
About this fable
This fable is translated by V. S. Vernon Jones in Aesop’s Fables: A New Translation (1912). In his version a fox marks out the course and acts as judge, a detail retained here, and the moral is the famous “Slow and steady wins the race.”
The French poet Jean de La Fontaine also turned the race into a verse fable in the seventeenth century, and the tortoise’s win is still a favorite way to talk about patience. This retelling keeps the fox judge and the race’s main events.
Read the original: V. S. Vernon Jones, Aesop’s Fables: A New Translation (Project Gutenberg #11339)
Best for ages 3–5 — a gentle race story with a surprise winner, just right for a bedtime read.
A closer reading
The tortoise wins because he continues while the hare stops, not because moving slowly is inherently faster. The hare has a real advantage but mistakes being ahead for having finished. The fox’s marked course makes the result measurable: the winner is the one who reaches the agreed goal first.
The familiar moral is useful as encouragement, but it is not a promise that effort defeats every difference in ability. Nor does the tale show that rest is always wrong. This particular nap comes from assuming the opponent cannot catch up. Focus the comparison on those choices, rather than praising exhaustion or dismissing talent.
Try this with the story
Move two counters along a paper track: the hare takes larger steps, then pauses; the tortoise keeps taking smaller ones. Try a second race in which neither pauses. Compare the results and name the choice that changes the story’s outcome.
Think about it
- What makes the hare think the race is already safe to win?
- Does the tortoise win by speed or by continuing?
- How would the result change if the hare kept moving?
Related stories
- The Ant and the Grasshopper — another Aesop fable where steady hard work pays off in the end
- The Lion and the Mouse — a proud lion learns not to look down on a small animal
- The North Wind and the Sun — a contest that is won by patience rather than by force
Also known as: The Tortoise and the Hare
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the hare lose in this telling?
Who judges the race?
Does persistence always beat speed or talent?
Which edition is followed?
You May Also Like
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Dog and His Reflection
A dog carrying meat across a stream snaps at his water-reflection and loses the piece he was already holding in his jaws.
Aesop's Fables
Ages 6-8
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
A wolf hides in a sheepskin to slip into the flock, but the disguise works too well when the shepherd reaches into the fold for meat.
Aesop's Fables
Ages 3-5
The Ant and the Grasshopper
On a winter day a hungry grasshopper asks ants for grain. Their question about her summer singing leads to a sharp answer about winter dancing.