The Hare & the Tortoise
A Hare was making fun of the Tortoise one day for being so slow. "Do you
ever get anywhere?" he asked with a mocking laugh. "Yes," replied the
Tortoise, "and I get there sooner than you think. I'll run you a race
and prove it." The Hare was much amused at the idea of running a race
with the Tortoise, but for the fun of the thing he agreed. So the Fox,
who had consented to act as judge, marked the distance and started the
runners off. The Hare was soon far out of sight, and to make the
Tortoise feel very deeply how ridiculous it was for him to try a race
with a Hare, he lay down beside the course to take a nap until the
Tortoise should catch up. The Tortoise meanwhile kept going slowly but
steadily, and, after a time, passed the place where the Hare was
sleeping. But the Hare slept on very peacefully; and when at last he did
wake up, the Tortoise was near the goal. The Hare now ran his swiftest,
but he could not overtake the Tortoise in time.
The race is not always to the swift.
The Hare & His Ears
The Lion had been badly hurt by the horns of a Goat, which he was
eating. He was very angry to think that any animal that he chose for a
meal, should be so brazen as to wear such dangerous things as horns to
scratch him while he ate. So he commanded that all animals with horns
should leave his domains within twenty-four hours. The command struck
terror among the beasts. All those who were so unfortunate as to have
horns, began to pack up and move out. Even the Hare, who, as you know,
has no horns and so had nothing to fear, passed a very restless night,
dreaming awful dreams about the fearful Lion. And when he came out of
the warren in the early morning sunshine, and there saw the shadow cast
by his long and pointed ears, a terrible fright seized him. "Goodby,
neighbor Cricket," he called. "I'm off. He will certainly make out that
my ears are horns, no matter what I say."
Do not give your enemies the slightest reason to attack your
reputation. Your enemies will seize any excuse to attack you.
The Hares & the Frogs
Hares, as you know, are very timid. The least shadow, sends them
scurrying in fright to a hiding place. Once they decided to die rather
than live in such misery. But while they were debating how best to meet
death, they thought they heard a noise and in a flash were scampering
off to the warren. On the way they passed a pond where a family of Frogs
was sitting among the reeds on the bank. In an instant the startled
Frogs were seeking safety in the mud. "Look," cried a Hare, "things are
not so bad after all, for here are creatures who are even afraid of
us!"
However unfortunate we may think we are there is always someone worse
off than ourselves.