The Tortoise and the Hare
거북이와 토끼
The Story
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A hare was very proud of how fast he could run.He laughed at a slow tortoise. “You are the slowest animal I know!”
“Then let us have a race,” said the tortoise quietly.All the animals came to watch. A fox marked the start and the finish.
The hare ran off so fast that the tortoise was soon far behind.“This race is too easy,” thought the hare. “I have time for a rest.”
He lay down under a shady tree and fell fast asleep.The tortoise walked on and on. He never stopped, not even once.
He passed the sleeping hare and kept going towards the finish.The hare woke up and ran as fast as he could, but he was too late.
The tortoise had already won. Slow and steady wins the race.
Full translationTry the story first — open this only to check your understanding.
토끼는 자기가 얼마나 빨리 달릴 수 있는지를 무척 자랑스러워했어요. 토끼는 느린 거북이를 비웃었어요. "너는 내가 아는 동물 중에 제일 느려!"
"그럼 우리 달리기 시합을 하자." 거북이가 조용히 말했어요. 동물들이 모두 구경하러 왔어요. 여우가 출발선과 결승선을 그었어요.
토끼가 아주 빠르게 달려 나가서, 거북이는 곧 한참 뒤처졌어요. "이 시합은 너무 쉬워." 토끼는 생각했어요. "잠깐 쉴 시간도 있겠는걸."
토끼는 그늘진 나무 아래 누워서 깊이 잠들어 버렸어요. 거북이는 계속해서 걸었어요. 단 한 번도 멈추지 않았어요.
거북이는 잠든 토끼를 지나쳐서 결승선을 향해 계속 나아갔어요. 토끼는 잠에서 깨어 있는 힘껏 달렸지만, 이미 너무 늦었어요.
거북이가 이미 이긴 뒤였어요. 느려도 꾸준히 하면 시합에서 이겨요.
Comprehension Check
1. Why did the hare stop to sleep during the race?
2. What did the tortoise do while the hare slept?
3. What is the lesson of this fable?
Vocabulary
noun
hare
산토끼
The hare could run much faster than the tortoise.
토끼는 거북이보다 훨씬 빨리 달릴 수 있었어요.
Your Summary
In 1–2 sentences, explain why the fast hare lost the race to the slow tortoise.
Source: Adapted from Aesop's Fables (public domain, c. 6th century BCE). This retelling and its Korean translation are original text written for SeoJae Story.
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