A hare one day ridiculed1 the short feet and slow pace of thetortoise, who replied, laughing: "Though you be swift as thewind, I will beat you in a race." The hare, believing herassertion to be simply impossible, assented2 to the proposal; andthey agreed that the fox should choose the course and fix thegoal. On the day appointed for the race the two startedtogether. The tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went onwith a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At lastwaking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the tortoisehad reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing3 after herfatigue. 
Slow but steady wins the race. 