Once upon a time, in a far-off land, there lived a group of animals who loved to run and play. There was a hare who was always first in every race, a tortoise who loved to roam, a kangaroo who loved to skip, a squirrel who loved to scamper, and a penguin who loved to march.

One day, the hare challenged all of his friends to a race around a big rock in the forest. The other animals agreed and gathered at the starting line, excited for the competition.

The hare took off at a rush, confident that he would win. But as he ran, he started to ramble and get distracted. He stopped to sit down and catch his breath, and that's when the tortoise snuck past him and took the lead.

The kangaroo was jumping and skipping her way through the race, while the squirrel was scampering up and down the trees. The penguin was marching steadily, not in a hurry to win, but just enjoying the race.

As the finish line approached, the hare realized he was far behind and decided to run as fast as he could. But it was too late. The tortoise crossed the finish line first, followed by the kangaroo, the squirrel, and the penguin. The hare came in last, panting and sweating.

The hare was disappointed, but his friends consoled him and told him that it's not about winning or losing, but about having fun and enjoying the race.

From that day on, the animals continued to run, race, skip, roam, scamper, march, and rush, always having a great time together.

The end.

Reflections

1. Who won the race in the story?
2. What did the hare learn by the end of the story?
3. Who were the animals that took part in the race?
4. Why did the penguin enjoy the race even though he didn't win?
5. What was the message of the story?
6. How do you think the hare felt when he realized he was far behind in the race?
7. Who was the slowest animal in the race?
8. What does the story teach us about competition and friendship?