Amazing Race

In the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare, it was finally race day. No one expected it to be close or even competitive. The training had taken months.

The tortoise spent the time plodding around the lake, only stopping for the occasional sip of water or snack. This was his chance to be somebody, accomplish the improbable. Even though the odds were stacked against him and his friends were secretly betting on the opposition, he humbly prepared for the opportunity to bring down the braggartly rabbit. His camp flag had the words, "Slow and steady...maybe."

The hare, on the other hand, spent those days giving speeches and celebrating with his many supporters and friends. Occasionally he would wow his entourage by assuming a sprinters starting stance and jumping up for a few fast steps. This was always met with loud cheers followed by hours of partying. His training camp motto was, "Take the SHELL down!"

The day of the big event finally. The track was laid out around the lake...several miles in length. At the blast of the starter's gun, the hare was off like a shot. The turtle plodded step by step. The rabbit's strategy was obvious from the beginning: get as far ahead as he could in a short time so he could take it easy and coast the last part of the race. He ate a snack and sipped a power drink at nearly every rest table. At the halfway mark he rested for hours in the shade, after all it was a fairly warm day.

YouTube Kids/The Hare and the Tortoise
Moral Tales from Panchatantra

The turtle kept moving at his usual pace. When his shell got a little warm, he would detour into the lake for a refreshing dip and a quick drink. About a hundred yards from the finish line, he came upon the hare snoring away in a hammock on the side of the track. He quietly passed by plodding on toward the end. The astonished cheering of the crowd woke the hare. Realizing all might be lost, the rabbit sped toward the finish but fell short as the tortoise waddled across just ahead of him.

An early version of this story is from the French author Jean de la Fontaine penned in 1668. He puts an interesting twist on the tale with the tortoise becoming a bit persnickety at the end. He asks his opponent, "Mr. Hare, how fast do you think you could run carrying your house on your back?" Among the morals of this story is, "Slow and steady wins the race." While that might not always be true in real life, it was certainly apparent in this Amazing Race.