Once upon a time, in a field so green,
A hare and a tortoise, could often be seen.
The hare was so fast, he loved to brag,
Said to the tortoise, "you're slow like a snail, you lag!"

The tortoise just smiled, and calmly said,
"Don't be too quick, we'll see who's ahead.
We can have a race, if you're up for the fun,
And we'll see who's the fastest, when all's said and done."

The hare agreed, and off they went,
Running as fast as they could, with their energy spent.
The hare was way ahead, in just a little while,
But he got tired, and decided to rest for a while.

The tortoise didn't stop, just kept moving along,
Slow and steady, singing a song.
The hare woke up, after a good nap,
But the tortoise had already crossed the finish line gap.

So the moral of the story, young ones, is clear,
It's not always about being the fastest, that's just one of the gears.
Sometimes slow and steady wins the race,
And you'll be the one who ends up in first place.

Reflections

Here are some questions that can help kids think about the story:

1. Why was the hare so confident that he could beat the tortoise in a race?
2. What did the tortoise do differently than the hare during the race?
3. What did the hare do that caused him to lose the race?
4. How did the tortoise feel when he won the race?
5. What is the moral of the story?
6. Can you think of a time when slow and steady helped you accomplish something?
7. Can you think of a time when being too overconfident caused you to make a mistake?
8. If you were the hare, what would you do differently to win the race?
9. If you were the tortoise, how would you feel about beating the hare?
10. Can you think of another story where the moral is similar to this one?