An Aesop Fable entitled, “The Tortoise and the Hare.” With your spiritual ears, listen and learn a very valuable gospel principle.
Years ago I used to read this story to my children. It is a well known Aesop fable about the tortoise and the hare. It is my favorite version written by Tess Fries. She has written it into the cutest poem.
Read the poem below and then see what valuable gospel principle we can learn from it.
One fine day in a clearing by the brook,
Next to oak trees towering high,
A hare told his friends
Just how fast he was-
Seems he could almost fly!
“I’ve never been beaten!”
Claimed the hare with a grin.
All the animals listened in wonder.
I’ve raced dogs down the road
And a fox through the glen,
Why, I’ve even out-distanced a hunter!”
“I’m faster than you—every one!”
Bragged the hare,
As the whiskers just twitched on his face.
And then with a hop
He cried to the crowd,
“I challenge you all to a race!”
The skunk crept away,
And the bears looked scared.
The opossum shuffled his feet.
But a clear small voice
From in the crowd asked,
“When and where shall we meet?”
Who could have said that?
They all had to know,
When the tortoise said loud and clear,
“I take your challenge,
My fine Mr. Hare,”
And his friends all started to cheer!
“Why, this must be a joke!”
Said the hare with a laugh.
“Beating you won’t even be fair!”
“Don’t boast till you’ve won,”
Said our wise tortoise friend.
“Shall we race right now, Mr. Hare?”
The course was set 
And the runners took their mark.
Soon the hare was clear out of sight.
The Tortoise inched ahead
Through the heat of the day
Trying with all of his might.
The hare looked around.
He was miles up ahead,
And he chuckled while mopping his brow.
“I’ll just rest right here
With a nice little nap.
I know that I’ll win anyhow!”
Inch by inch, slow and safe
The tortoise went along
Over stick and stones and holes
He never gave up
And he never looked back.
He just kept his sights on his goals.
The hare yawned and stretched,
And blinked his little eyes,
As he woke to the sun going down.
He leapt to his feet
And he looked down the road,
But the tortoise was nowhere around.
Then the hare heard cheering
From the crowd up ahead.
Why, that tortoise had practically won!
So the hare dashed forward
On past the finish line,
But the tortoise was already done!
“You’re so very fast,”
Said the tortoise to the hare,
“I surely can’t keep up your pace.
I go steady and slow,
With my eyes on my goal,
And I win almost every single race.”
In this fable, the hare and the tortoise both have the same goal – they are both working towards the same finish line. But the hare runs ragged while the tortoise moves along steady and slow. Like the tortoise and the hare, I think we could compare this to each of us reaching for the same ultimate goal of returning back to our Father in Heaven.
We could also compare this to how the Lord has commanded us to work. We can’t just stand around. We have got to be working and moving forward in order to reach the finish line. But I think the great comparison here that teaches us the most valuable lesson is that we should not confuse work with workaholism or a frantic compulsion to be constantly busy.
Mosiah 4:27 we learn –
27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.
I love that. We learn that no, we should not be running faster than we have strength but we should be diligent. The hare was totally running faster than he had strength – he stops in the middle of the story to rest and he falls asleep. Who is the diligent one here in the story? The tortoise was. And who ended up winning the race? The tortoise did.
Another comparison we can make with the story, that I found interesting is that at the beginning of the story the Hare is soooo bragging to his friends about how fast he is – MAN, is he fast! But what if we substituted the word “fast” with “busyness”. It is so easy to get caught up in today’s fast-paced world that we sometimes find ourselves constantly just going, going, going and to some, the busier they are, the more important they feel.
Pres. Uchtdorf has said, “Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life. Is it? I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life… I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished. I can’t see it.”
In our lives, I think we would be wise to follow the Tortoise example. In my home, I have one of Pres. Uchtdorf’s quotes displayed that is a gentle reminder (in a way) to be more like the Tortoise. It says, “Slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials.”
You can find this favorite children’s book on Amazon.
Yours Truly,
P.S. Sign up for my monthly Finding JOY Newsletter and receive more great gospel-related resources delivered right to your inbox! 🙂
*DISCLAIMER: Melanie’s Library is a member of Amazon’s Affiliate Program. I support the sale of inspiring and uplifting products and I hope you do too. 🙂 For each product you purchase through my affiliate link, I will receive a small payment at no extra cost to you.
