Copyright © 2021 Anike Foundation
The Tortoise and The Hare
Once upon a time, there was a hare who loved to boast of his speed in front of the other animals.
All the animals were surprised that the tortoise took up the challenge. He was known to be a very slow animal. However, a day was fixed for the great race and all the animals looked forward to it.
On the day of the race, no animal went to the market. No one went hunting, all the animals gathered together, excited to watch the race between the tortoise and the hare. Both animals were ready, each of them felt confident and everyone wondered why the tortoise was so confident since they felt he was no match for the hare.
The elephant started them off when he blew his big whistle and the sound rang across the entire jungle. Every ear was alert, every eye fixed on the two competitors. Who will win the greatest animal race in history?
The hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped. In order to show that the tortoise was no match for him and should not have accepted his challenge in the first instance, he lay down to have a nap.
Slowly but surely, the tortoise plodded on. He had a goal, he had a focus and he never looked back. When the hare awoke from his sleep, he saw the tortoise near the finish line. He jumped up and tried to catch up with him but it was too late. The deed had been done.
To the amazement of all the animals, the tortoise had crossed the finish line. It was unbelievable. The hare was humbled. He had no choice but to congratulate the tortoise and accept him as the winner. All the animals learnt a very important lesson from the tortoise.
Love our African folktales? Donate now to support our work.
We need your support to bring you more stories like this and carry out our education projects in Africa. Please make a donation today to allow us to continue this important work. Thank you for your support!