To achieve success in any field of life, continuous effort is required. Those who work irregularly seldom achieve their goal. Regular hard work is the key to success. Again we should not be proud of our God-gifted qualities. We should not underestimate other persons. There is an oft-quoted proverb “ slow and steady win the race” that explains this situation beautifully.
Once the tortoise and the hare lived together in a forest. They were fast friends. The hare was very proud of his fast speed. He used to laugh at the slow speed of the tortoise. One day the tortoise took it ill and challenged the hare to run a race. The hare laughed at this challenge. Then he accepted it. They fixed the top of a distant hill as the destination. They started the race on the appointed day. The hare took long jumps and covered a long distance in no time. He left the tortoise far behind. On the way, the hare thought of taking some rest under a shady tree because the tortoise should take a long time to reach the winning post. A cool breeze was blowing. The hare started enjoying a sound sleep. The tortoise could not run fast, but he did not lose heart. He walked slowly but steadily. He saw the hare sleeping on the way, but he passed by him silently. The tortoise was dead tired, but he did not stop to take any rest.
At last, he reached the winning post. After some time, the hare woke up. The sun was about to set, and he had wasted the whole day sleeping. He thought that the tortoise could be still far behind. He was much ashamed to see the tortoise already sitting. He decided not to make fun of his friend in the future.
What is the moral of the tortoise and the hare?
- Slow and steady wins the race.
- Pride hath a fall.
- Never make fun of others.
- Success is for those who sleep after the completion of their work.
- Perseverance is the key to success.
