The Tortoise and the Hare — Short Story with Vocabulary for Kids
A slow tortoise beats a fast hare — slow and steady wins the race!
📖 The Tortoise and the Hare
In a peaceful forest near the banks of the Narmada River, there lived many animals. Among them were a hare named Chintu and a tortoise named Motu.
Chintu the hare was very proud of his speed. He would run past all the animals and boast, “I am the fastest animal in this forest! Nobody can beat me!”
Motu the tortoise was slow and quiet. He never said much. He just walked slowly, step by step, wherever he needed to go.
One day, Chintu laughed at Motu. “You are so slow, Motu! You walk like you are carrying a mountain on your back!”
Motu smiled calmly. “Speed is not everything, Chintu. Would you like to race me?”
All the animals were surprised. “A tortoise racing a hare? That’s impossible!” they said.
But Chintu agreed. “This will be easy! I’ll win before you even reach halfway!”
The next morning, all the animals gathered to watch. The old elephant was the judge. “Ready… set… GO!” he trumpeted.
Chintu zoomed ahead like a rocket! In seconds, he was far, far ahead. Motu started walking slowly — step by step, step by step.
Chintu looked back. Motu was just a tiny dot in the distance. “He’s so far behind!” laughed Chintu. “I have plenty of time. Let me rest under this tree.”
Chintu lay down in the shade and soon fell fast asleep.
Meanwhile, Motu kept walking. He did not stop. He did not rest. Step by step, he walked past the sleeping Chintu.
When Chintu finally woke up, he saw Motu was almost at the finish line! “Oh no!” Chintu ran as fast as he could. But it was too late.
Motu crossed the finish line first! The animals cheered loudly.
“How did you win?” asked Chintu, shocked.
“I never stopped,” said Motu wisely. “Slow and steady wins the race.”
Chintu learned an important lesson that day: talent without hard work is useless. And being overconfident can lead to failure.
💡 Moral of the Story
“Slow and steady wins the race. Never be overconfident.”
📚 Vocabulary — 15 New Words
🔄 Words in Context
- Don’t boast about your test scores — it hurts others’ feelings.
- The peaceful backwaters of Kerala are perfect for a boat ride.
- All the neighbours gathered for the Diwali celebration in our colony.
- The students cheered loudly when their team won the match.
- Walking at a steady pace, Meera finished the entire 5km walk without getting tired.
❓ Comprehension Questions
📐 Grammar: Comparing with -er and -est
- fast → faster → fastest (Chintu was the fastest)
- slow → slower → slowest (Motu was slower but won!)
- big → bigger → biggest (double the consonant)
- heavy → heavier → heaviest (y → i + er)
- For long words: more beautiful, most beautiful (not beautifuler!)
🗣️ Retell the Story
Retell ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ in your own words:
- Who was Chintu? What was he proud of?
- Who challenged whom? Why were animals surprised?
- What happened during the race? What did Chintu do?
- How did Motu win?
- What lesson did Chintu learn?
👨👩👧 Read Aloud Tips for Parents
- Use a cocky, boastful voice for Chintu and a calm, wise voice for Motu.
- Make snoring sounds when Chintu falls asleep — kids will giggle!
- Build suspense: ‘Motu walked past the sleeping Chintu… closer… closer…’
- At the finish line, CHEER with your child!
- Ask: ‘Do you know anyone who is like Chintu? Like Motu?’
📚 Explore More on English1to5.com
❓ FAQ
What is this story about?
A proud, fast hare challenges a slow tortoise to a race. The hare falls asleep mid-race due to overconfidence, and the tortoise wins by walking steadily without stopping. Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.
What vocabulary is taught?
15 words: peaceful, proud, boast, quiet, carrying, race, surprised, impossible, agreed, gathered, judge, distance, shade, cheered, steady.
Where is this story set?
Near the Narmada River in central India, giving Indian kids a familiar geographical context while learning a classic Aesop’s fable.
What grammar point is covered?
Comparing with -er and -est: fast→faster→fastest, slow→slower→slowest. Also covers when to use ‘more/most’ for longer words.
What life lessons can kids learn?
Don’t be overconfident, hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, consistency matters more than speed, and never underestimate others.