Tortoise and the Hare II

Think you know the story of the Tortoise and the Hare? Think again!

The race was to be between the Tortoise and the Hare. The slowest creature versus the fastest.
"Care to make it interesting?" the Tortoise asked the Hare.
" I have a twenty dollar bill that says I'll win".
"You're on!" replied the Hare.
To prepare for this race, Tortoise sought the help if a couple of his friends. They came up with a plan and positioned themselves all along the course of the journey to await the arrival of the hare. Not long after the race began, the hare noticed something on the side of the road. It was a five dollar bill. He was so fast, he knew he could run over, grab it, and then continue the race. But when he got there, he saw another further out. He went to grab that one. And so it went another five, and then another, and then,twenty more times, -each time getting him farther and farther from the track. Finally, when he didn't see any more money, he ran back to the race. Tortoise, who'd been moving at his slow speed, but steadily had advanced quite a bit. However, Hare, knowing that he would eventually catch up to him because of his speed was steadily gaining on him. That was until he noticed a beautiful female bunny on the side of the road. He went over to investigate. The female bunny was a very nice person (the tortoise's friends had invited her) and it turned out she was single. So, Hare took quite a bit of time this time, getting to know her, finding out about all they had in common, etc. Meanwhile, Tortoise advanced nicely. Hare realized that he was still in a race, so he explained to his new girlfriend that he just needed a moment to go and win the race. She agreed to go with him, which slowed him down slightly, but he didn't mind. He was making gains on the Tortoise when off to the sidelines, Hare and Bunny noticed a magnificent meal laid out on a grand table with candlesticks. They both went to investigate, and a a sign said, "Please help yourselves", they did. They ate and drank and had a great time. The tremendous meal actually made them sleepy, so they took a nap. When they awakened, Hare, remembered again he had a race to finish, so off they went. He wasn't worried, but he always wanted to finish what he started. He and Bunny hopped very fast. They could see ahead of them Tortoise about to cross the finish line. Tortoise looked over his shoulder at the two in the distance quickly approaching. He turned forward again and took his last few steps to cross over the finish line. He had won! He smiled. His Tortoise buddies who had planted the money, meal and invited the bunny had driven there to greet him and congratulate him. Moments later, Hare and Bunny sped across the finish line. But it was too late,
Tortoise had already won.
"I won" announced Tortoise. "You owe me twenty dollars. Ha, what you didn't know was that my buddies planted all those distractions- and you fell for it! That's why I'm the winner."
"You're right, you did win". answered Hare. "But I'm happy to say that I'm $100 richer, I had just enjoyed a terrific meal, and, most importantly, I found the love of my life. By the way, "Are you ready for a rematch"?

The moral of the story, "Winning isn't everything".


Kramer, Jack H. Tortoise and the Hare II. 2001. Print. (Never Published)

The Tortoise and the Hare. Teacher Created Materials, 2008

Ward, Helen, and Aesop. The Hare and the Tortoise: A Fable from Aesop. Brookfield, Conn: Millbrook Press, 1999.


I heard the Kramer version of this classic tale in our Storytelling class and was blown away. In the traditional tale, the moral usually is something like, " Slow and steady wins the race". The basic idea is to be persistent and stay on track, and you can win the race against those who think they have all the time in the world." However, THIS IS NOT THAT STORY. In a remarkable turn of events, we actually learn from this version that, "Winning isn't everything".
Because of the turn of events, I believe this story should be told to middle to high school and up (adults). Because of the nuances involved, adults probably will enjoy it the most. In language learning classroom, it lends itself to being told and retold in order to elicit different "lessons".
When using the, "The Tortoise and the Hare. Teacher Created Materials" version, the script is designed to be acted out. Roleplaying is a very useful skill in a classroom and it's really the "next step" after Storytelling, as everyone collectively tells a story through action. I might also adapt the Kramer version to into a role play as well.