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.
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.