The Tortoise and the Hare
/ðə ˌtɔːtəs ən ðə ˈheə(r)/
/ðə ˌtɔːrtəs ən ðə ˈher/
- one of the best known of Aesop's Fables. It tells the story of a race between a tortoise (= a creature that moves very slowly) and a hare . The hare is very confident of winning, so it stops during the race and falls asleep. The tortoise continues to move very slowly but without stopping and finally it wins the race. The moral lesson of the story is that you can be more successful by doing things slowly and steadily than by acting quickly and carelessly.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
The Tortoise and the Hare