A Big Boast
Chapter 1 of 3
In a green meadow at the edge of a quiet wood lived a hare who could run faster than anyone. Anyone at all. He zipped through the clover, he hopped over the stream, and he never let the other animals forget it.
“I’m the fastest creature in the whole meadow,” he said one sunny morning. “Nobody can catch me!”
Nearby, a tortoise was munching a leaf, one slow bite at a time.
“I could,” she said quietly.
The hare laughed so hard that he rolled over in the grass. “You? You would need a whole week just to cross the path!”
“Then let’s race,” said the tortoise. “All the way to the old oak tree at the top of the hill.”
The hare wiped his eyes. “Fine. This will be the easiest race of my life.”