Tara the tortoise was slow — slower than everyone else in the forest school. When the bell rang for games, all the animals rushed out. Tara always came last.
One day, the teacher announced, “Next week, we’ll have a forest race. Everyone can join.”
The rabbits laughed. “Tara? In a race?”
Tara lowered her eyes. She didn’t want to race. But that night, her grandmother told her, “Slow or fast, the only way to lose is by quitting.”
Tara thought about that all week. She didn’t become faster. But she practiced — a little more each day. Step by step. No excuses.
Race day arrived. The fox blew the whistle. The rabbits zoomed ahead, squirrels dashed up trees, and even the deer disappeared in moments.
Tara just walked. Steady. One foot after the other. While others took shortcuts or got distracted, Tara kept moving.
By the time she reached the finish line, most of the animals had stopped halfway to eat berries or play near the stream. Only a few had finished. The rest were too tired or bored.
Tara crossed the line, panting but proud. She wasn’t first, but she wasn’t last either. The animals cheered — even the rabbits.
“You kept going,” said the teacher. “That’s more than many can say.”
Tara smiled. “I guess slow isn’t so bad after all.”
🪄 Moral of the Story:
Don’t give up. Steady effort is stronger than speed.