One day, a hare made fun of a tortoise. "You are so slow!" said the hare. "I can run faster than anyone."
"Let us have a race," said the tortoise.
The hare laughed. "This will be easy!"
All the animals came to watch. The race began. The hare ran very fast. Soon he was far ahead.
"I can rest for a while," thought the hare. He lay down under a tree and fell asleep.
The tortoise walked slowly but never stopped. He walked and walked. At last, he reached the finish line.
The hare woke up and ran as fast as he could. But it was too late. The tortoise had won.
"Slow and steady wins the race," said the wise old owl.