cried the tortoise . ' I am sure you must be ; but it will be all right to-morrow , ' said the fox , trotting off , not knowing that the oranges dropped down the hollow trunk , straight into the tortoise 's hole , and that he had as many as he could possibly eat . So the seven years went by ; and when the tortoise came out of his hole he was as fat as ever . Now it was the fox 's turn , and he chose his hole , and the tortoise heaped the earth round , promising to return every day or two with a nice young bird for his dinner . ` Well , how are you getting on ? ' he would ask cheerfully when he paid his visits . ` Oh , all right ; only I wish you had brought a bird with you , ' answered the fox . ' I have been so unlucky , I have never been able to catch one , ' replied the tortoise . ` However , I shall be more fortunate to-morrow , I am sure . ' But not many to-morrows after , when the tortoise arrived with his usual question : ` Well , how are you getting on ? ' he received no answer , for the fox was lying in his hole quite still , dead of hunger . By this time the tortoise was grown up , and was looked up to throughout the forest as a person to be feared for his strength and wisdom . But he was not considered a very swift runner , until an adventure with a deer added to his fame . One day , when he was basking in the sun , a stag passed by , and stopped for a little conversation . ` Would you care to see which of us can run fastest ? ' asked the tortoise , after some talk . The stag thought the question so silly that he only shrugged his shoulders . ` Of course , the victor would have the right to kill the other , ' went on the tortoise . ` Oh , on that condition I agree , ' answered the deer ; ` but I am afraid you are a dead man . ' ` It is no use trying to frighten me , ' replied the tortoise .
` But I should like three days for training ; then I shall be ready to start when the sun strikes on the big tree at the edge XXXXX the great clearing . '
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