School tales: The Rabbit & the Tortise

Once upon a time, in a lush, green forest, there lived a rabbit and a tortoise. The rabbit was known for his speed and loved to boast about it to all the other animals. He would often tease the tortoise for being so slow, saying, "Why do you even bother moving at all? You'll never get anywhere!"
The tortoise, however, was calm and patient. One day, tired of the rabbit's constant taunts, he decided to challenge the rabbit to a race. The rabbit found this idea hilarious and eagerly agreed, thinking it would be an easy win.
All the animals in the forest gathered to watch the race. The fox was chosen as the referee and marked the start and finish lines. As the race began, the rabbit dashed off, leaving the tortoise far behind. Confident that he had the race in the bag, the rabbit decided to take a nap under a tree halfway to the finish line.
Meanwhile, the tortoise kept moving steadily and slowly, never stopping or getting distracted. The rabbit slept soundly, unaware that the tortoise was making progress. By the time the rabbit woke up, the tortoise was only a short distance from the finish line.
Panicked, the rabbit leaped up and ran as fast as he could, but it was too late. The tortoise crossed the finish line just as the rabbit was catching up. All the animals cheered for the tortoise, who had won the race despite being much slower.
The rabbit hung his head in shame, realizing that his arrogance and overconfidence had led to his downfall. The tortoise smiled kindly and said, "Slow and steady wins the race."
From that day on, the rabbit learned to be more humble, and the tortoise was respected by all the animals for his determination and persistence. The story teaches that perseverance and steady effort are more valuable than speed and overconfidence.