A hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the tortoise.
The latter laughing, said: "Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat
you in a race." The hare, deeming 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 they 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,
trusting to his native swiftness, cared little about the race, and 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 and steady wins the race._