The Hare And The Tortoise Short Story & Audiobook
A hare and a tortoise are not exactly evenly matched but decide to have a race. Who will win and who will learn a big lesson?
The Hare And The Tortoise
One fine day a hare was being a bit unkind and made fun of his friend the tortoise for being such a slowcoach.
The hare laughed and laughed and said, "How do you ever actually get anywhere?"
"Hmmm," replied the tortoise, "Oh, I get there all right and much sooner than you might think. Why don’t we run a race and you will find out?"
The hare thought this was highly amusing and giggled as he pictured himself zipping along miles ahead of the slow old tortoise. “Okay, you’re on,” agreed the hare. They got their friend the fox to act as the judge and he counted down, “5,4,3,2,1 and off you go!”
Very quickly, the hare raced ahead and he was way off in the distance as the tortoise crept slowly along on his little legs, carrying the heavy shell on his back.
The hare knew the tortoise was a very long way back and would take ages to catch up. So he thought he would have a little sleep and that would make the tortoise feel very silly for challenging him, a hare, to a race. Then he could spring up and dash for the finish line.
Now, the tortoise just kept plodding slowly and steadily along and, as time went on, he passed the spot where the hare lay fast asleep. The tortoise just kept going until he was very close to the finish line. The hare suddenly woke up and ran as fast as he could but he was too late. The tortoise crossed the line and was declared the winner.
And the moral of that story is that it's not always the fastest who wins the race.
The End
A peculiar experiment reveals the tenderness of a true princess.
- 5 mins
A mermaid who is interested in humans helps a prince in trouble.
- 6 mins
Which pig will be smart enough to escape the jaws of a hungry wolf.
- 10 mins
The race is on to catch a fast-running biscuit that has sprung to life.
- 5 mins
A stroppy fox learns the true meaning of the term "sour grapes".
- 3 mins
When her fairy godmother appears, all Cinderella's dreams come true.
- 16 mins
A bored tortoise wants to fly, but soon he learns an important lesson.
- 4 mins
A fussy-eater decides he never wants porridge again. Or maybe he does?
- 6 mins
A beastly boss is visited by three ghosts on Christmas eve.
- 8 mins
Solly's original story reading is at risk as his postal duties pile up.
- 12 mins
Aladdin finds a rusty lamp in a cave. One rub and everything changes.
- 8 mins
Ali finds forty thieves stealing gold and jewels. But will he stop them?
- 8 mins
Alice goes on a magical adventure. But is it all a wonderful dream?
- 6 mins
A lady is sent to live with a beast. Can she unlock his secret?
- 8 mins
Spell and clap along to the classic folk song, B-I-N-G-O.
- 2 mins
When Kia finds out she can talk to birds a whole new world opens up.
- 8 mins
Win Partridge becomes the Order of the Oak's newest agent.
- 6 episodes
Delivery adventures with Solly Hogg. The gritty pig who wants to fly.
- 12 episodes
An alien girl and a moose go on heartwarming adventures in the snow.
- 11 episodes
Dreamy adventures in Fluffland with Bonnie and Sylvie Fields.
- 14 episodes
Magical, oily adventures with Joe and Mike's junkyard creations.
- 12 episodes
Monsterous adventures at the Gristling Inn Bed & Breakfast.
- 13 episodes
Heartwarming adventures with a group of alien friends on Planet Ogg.
- 52 episodes
Adventures in London's UnderUnderground with Reginald Twitch.
- 12 episodes
Hickory Slick discovers some extraordinary new animal species.
- 14 episodes
Can you read The Hare And The Tortoise story for free?
Yes! You can read The Hare And The Tortoise story for free. Our story retellings closely follow the original storylines and add modern twists in the illustrations.
Is there a version of The Hare And The Tortoise read aloud?
You can choose to experience this story read aloud or you can read it yourself.
Is this a good bedtime story?
This is a great example of a bedtime story. It’s nostalgic for parents and has a happy ending for kids. That’s if they make it to the end of the story before falling asleep!
Why do we write bedtime stories for kids?
When we first decided to create a bedtime story for kids, we knew we wanted it to be fun, engaging and high quality.
We wanted Sooper Books to bring children's publishing into the 21st century. We strongly believe that nighttime stories for kids need to fit seamlessly into modern family lives which is why our free stories are all online.
It began when we started writing stories for our own family. Then our friends and wider families asked for copies and we started to share Sooper Books with other children.
At Sooper Books we write, curate and narrate stories for kids so they can enjoy the best quality content, enchanting stories and magical adventures. With our stories we work towards promoting a positive attitude to reading and instill a love of books in children from an early age.
About Sooper Books
Our 5-10 minute online kids bedtime stories, fairy tales, funny rhymes and fables all come with award-winning audio.
From short stories for kids to multiple story episodes in our original series collections, our content is sure to make your little ones’ eyes sparkle with delight.
At Sooper Books, children can explore the magical world of fairies and witches, brave knights, talking animals and more. Our stories for kids feature an array of characters such as lovable princesses, funny frogs, gentle giants and wise wizards.
So whether you're specifically looking for a fairy tale or a rhyme, or maybe you just need some short bedtime stories for kids. Take the stress out of bedtime by reading one of our kids stories today!