English
Onerainydaythethreebearsweresittingbythefireintheircomfortablehouseinthewoods,tellingstories.
FirstFatherBearwouldtellastory,andthenMotherBearwouldtellastory,andthenFatherBearwouldhaveaturnagain.
BetweentimesLittleBearaskedquestions.
ThethreewerehappyandmerryuntilMotherBeartoldtheoldstoryabouttheracebetweenthehareandthetortoise,andhowtheslow-goingtortoisewasthefirsttoreachthegoalbecausetheharetookanapanddidnotwakeupuntilafterthetortoisehadpassedhimandhadwontherace.
“Yousee,”MotherBearexplained,“theharewassosurehecouldwinthathedidnoteventrytoreachthegoalquickly.
Hewassoswift-footedthathethoughthecouldgotosleepifhechoseandstillcomeoutaheadofthepatienttortoise.”
“Wasn’thesilly!”exclaimedLittleBear.
“IfIweregoingtorunaracewithGrandpaTortoise,IshouldgothiswayuntilIreachedthegoal!”
AndLittleBearprancedupanddowntheroomuntilhemadeeventheporridgebowlsrattleinthecupboard.
“IguessIshouldknowenoughtoknowthatGrandpaTortoisewouldkeepsteppingaheadandsteppingaheadandgettothegoalintime!
YouwouldnotcatchmetakinganynapsifIstartedouttorunaracewithanyone!No,sir-ree!”
MotherBearlaughedheartily,butFatherBearlookedverysolemn.HedidnotliketohearLittleBearbragatall.
“Soyouthink,SonBear,”saidhe,“that,ifyoushouldrunaracewithGrandpaTortoise,youwouldbewiserthanouroldfriend,PeterHare?Isthatwhatyoumean?”
“IknowIshould,”braggedLittleBear.“I’dsay,‘Good-by,GrandpaTortoise!’
andoffI’dstart,andIshouldbeathimbeforehehadtimetothink.
Then,afterward,ifIweresleepyandwantedto,Ishouldtakeanap.”
“Verywell,”saidFatherBear,“IshallseeGrandpaTortoise,andifheiswillingtorunaracewithasillylittlefellowlikeyou,youshallhaveyourchance,andPeterHareshallbethejudge.”
Soitcameaboutthat,whentherainwasover,thefriendsoftheThreeBearsandofthehareandthetortoisemetinthewoodstoseethefun.
LittleBearnoticedthat,beforetheracebegan,thehareandthetortoisewerelaughingaboutsomething,buthedidnotevenwonderwhatitwas.Hehadnothingtoworryabout.
Atlastthewordwasgiven:“One,two,three,go!”
Awaywentthetortoise,slowandeasy.OffstartedLittleBear,runningsofastthathewasoutofbreathbeforehehadpassedthefirstoaktree,andwasgladtostopasecondandhaveadrinkofdewfromanacorncupthatFriendTreetoadofferedhim.
“Thankyou,”remarkedLittleBear,ashereturnedthecup,“butthatwasnotenough.Ishallhavetostepovertothespring.”
“Rememberhowtheharelosttherace,”FriendTreetoadwarnedhim.
“Oh,Ishallnotgotosleep,”answeredLittleBear,“and,really,GrandpaTortoisewalksslowerthanIthoughthedid.”
BesidethespringwereanumberofLittleBear’soldfriendsdressedingreensatincoats,whowereplayingleapfrog.
TheyaskedLittleBeartoplaywiththem,andsoonhewasshowingthefrogswhatlongleapshecouldmake.
Andthen,inalittlewhile,manybabyrabbitscameandjoinedinthefun.
ThenextthatLittleBearknew,hewaschasingbabyrabbitsovertherocksandcatchingnutsthatthesquirrelsthrewtohimfromthetreetopsandhavingajoyfulplaytime.
Anhourpassedquickly,andthenLittleBearsuddenlyrememberedthathehadstartedouttorunarace.
Backherantothepathandawayheflewtowardthegoal,whilethebabyrabbitslaughedanddancedanddancedandlaughed.
FatherBearhadsentthemtoplaywithLittleBear,buttheydidnotknowwhyhehadsentthemuntilthatminute.
Steppingalong,steppingalong,slowlybutsurely,GrandpaTortoisehadreachedthegoal,justashehadinthelong-agodaywhenherantheracewiththehare.
LittleBear,ashecamenearthegoal,heardtheneighborsshouting,“Hurrahforthechampion!Hurrahforthechampion!HurrahforGrandpaTortoise!”EvenFatherBearwasshouting.
LittleBearrememberedhismannersand,ashisfatherhadtoldhimwhattodoifhelosttherace,straightwaywalkedupandshookhandswithGrandpaTortoise.
Andthehare,althoughhemusthavebeenlaughinginhissleeve,rememberedhismanners,too,anddidnotletanyoneseehimlaugh.
AfterthattheoldfriendsandneighborswenthomewiththeThreeBearstoeatblackberriesandhoneyandtotellstoriesroundthefire.GrandpaTortoisewenttoo.
Hehadtraveledsoslowlythathewasnoteventired.
LittleBearaskedafewquestions,asusual,thatafternoonwhenthestoriesweretold,buthedidnotbrag.
AndwhenPeterHarewinkedathimonceortwicehelaughed.
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