The Tortoise and the Hare

The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me." 

 The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge." 

"That is a good joke," said the Hare; "I could dance round you all the way." 

"Keep your boasting till you've won," answered the Tortoise. "Shall we race?" 

So a course was fixed and a start was made. The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The Tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post and could not run up in time to save the race.  Then the Tortoise said: "Slow but steady progress wins the race."

The Ant and the Grasshopper

In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?" "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger - while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for days of need.

The Gingerbread Man

Once upon a time, an old woman and her husband lived alone in a little old house. The couple had no children, and being lonely, the woman decided to make a boy of gingerbread. She carefully mixed the batter, rolled out the dough, and cut out out a very nice gingerbread man. She added sugar icing for his hair, mouth, and clothes, and she used candy chips for buttons and eyes. What a fine looking gingerbread man he was! The old woman put him in the oven to bake. After he was fully done, she slowly opened the oven door. Up jumped the gingerbread man, and he ran out the door saying, "Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" The old woman and the old man ran after him, but they could not catch him. And so the Gingerbread Man ran and ran. While he running, he met a cow. "Moo," said the cow. "You look very fine! Fine enough to eat!" And the cow started to chase to little man. But the Gingerbread Man ran faster, saying, "I ran away from an old woman, I ran away from an old man, And I can run away from you! I can!" And he laughed, "Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" The cow ran after the Gingerbread Man, but she could not catch him. The Gingerbread Man kept running, and soon he met a horse. "Neigh," said the horse, "You look mighty tasty. I think that I would like to eat you." "But you can't!" said the Gingerbread Man. "I ran away from an old woman, I ran away from an old man, I ran away from a cow, And I can run away from you! I can!" And so he ran singing, "Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" The horse ran after the Gingerbread Man, but he could not catch him. The Gingerbread Man ran and ran, laughing and singing. While he ran, he met a chicken. "Cackle, cackle," said the chicken, "You look fine enough to peck for dinner. I'm going to eat you, Mr. Gingerbread Man." But the Gingerbread Man just laughed. "I ran away from an old woman, I ran away from an old man, I ran away from a cow, I ran away from a horse, And I can run away from you! I can!" And so he ran singing, "Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" The chicken ran after the Gingerbread Man, but she could not catch him. The Gingerbread Man was proud that he could run so fast. "Nobody can catch me," he thought. So he kept on running until he met a fox. He just had to tell the fox how he ran faster than all the others. "Mr. Fox," he said, "As tasty as I appear to be, I cannot let you catch and eat me. I ran away from an old woman, I ran away from an old man, I ran away from a cow, I ran away from a horse, I ran away from a chicken, And I can run away from you! I can!" But Mr. Fox did not seem to care. "Why would I want to bother you?" asked Mr. Fox. "You don't even look that tasty. No, young man, I don't want to eat you at all." The Gingerbread Man was so relieved. "Well, indeed, Mr. Fox," said the Gingerbread Man. "If you don't mind, I think I'll take a little rest here." And the Gingerbread Man stopped running and stood still. And right when he stood still. Snap! went Mr. Fox's jaws right into the Gingerbread Man until he was gone. "He was very tasty after all," thought the fox.