THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE

One day a hare was bragging about how fast he could run. He bragged and bragged and
even laughed at the tortoise, who was so slow. The tortoise stretched out his long neck and
challenged the hare to a race, which, of course, made the hare laugh.
"My, my, what a joke!" thought the hare.
"A race, indeed, a race. Oh! what fun! My, my! a race, of course, Mr. Tortoise, we shall
race!" said the hare.
The forest animals met and mapped out the course. The race begun, and the hare, being such a
swift runner, soon left the tortoise far behind. About halfway through the course, it occurred to
the hare that he had plenty of time to beat the slow trodden tortoise.
"Oh, my!" thought the hare, "I have plenty of time to play in the meadow here."
And so he did.
After the hare finished playing, he decided that he had time to take a little nap.
"I have plenty of time to beat that tortoise," he thought. And he cuddle up against a tree and
dozed.
The tortoise, in the meantime, continued to plod on, albeit, it ever so slowly. He never
stopped, but took one good step after another.
Tortoise and Hare
The hare finally woke from his nap. "Time to get going," he thought. And off he went faster
than he had ever run before! He dashed as quickly as anyone ever could up to the finish line,
where he met the tortoise, who was patiently awaiting his arrival.
 The Tortoise and the Hare
Once upon a time, in a field not too far from you, there was an energetic and happy hare and a
sleepy tortoise. The happy hare was called Noel and the sleepy tortoise was called Archibald.
Archibald the tortoise liked to sit and munch his dinner slowly, whilst Noel the hare would
gobble up his dinner and run round and round Archibald until he was dizzy. One day, they had
an argument… “I am the fastest animal in the whole wide world,” said Noel. “I’m faster than a
cheeky cheetah, a kicking kangaroo and a racing rabbit,” he boasted. “Oh do be quiet,” sighed
Archibald. “You are so full of yourself! If you’re not careful you’ll come to a sticky end…”
“Where’s sticky end then,” asked Noel. “Is it far from here?” Archibald rolled his eyes and
carried on munching on some tasty lettuce leaves. “Oh you two do stop arguing,” said a
blackbird as he flew past. “No, this is serious,” said Noel the hare. “I will prove to you all that
I’m the fastest animal in the whole wide world“ The race begins!“OK,” said Archibald the
tortoise. “I’ll race you then!” Noel the hare laughed his head off. “Just you wait and see,” said
Archibald. “I’ll get Wallace the wise old owl to organise a race for us…” Wallace the wise old owl
arranged the race for the next day. All the animals in the field put on their best clothes,
groomed their fur, picked up a flag to wave and got ready to cheer the tortoise and the hare on.
“On your marks… Get set… Go!” Called Wallace… And the race was off! Slowly, slowly Archibald
the tortoise set off and quickly, quickly Noel the hare raced off and soon he was out of sight. In
fact, he was so far ahead that, when he looked back, Archibald the tortoise was nowhere to be
seen. “Gosh,” Noel thought. “I’ve more or less won all ready! I think I’ll just have a little nap
under this tree, it’s such a hot day”. Noel the hare was soon fast asleep. Meanwhile, Archibald
the tortoise ambled along slowly enjoying the sun on his shell and taking the odd nibble of grass
from time to time. On and on and on and on and on and on he plodded. He plodded past the
oak tree, he plodded past the bridge, he plodded past the cow shed, he even plodded past Noel
the hare who was still snoring under the tree. He plodded on until he came to the finishing line
where Wallace the wise old owl and all the other animals in the field were gathered. All the
animals clustered around Archibald cheering and shouting: “Well done! Well done! You’re the
winner!” All the noise woke Noel the hare up with a start. “Oh my! Oh my! What’s going on?
What’s all that noise? Never mind. I’d better finish the race then I can go and have my dinner,”
he thought. Noel the hare raced off down the hill towards the finishing line. But when he got
there, to his horror, he saw Archibald the tortoise with a gold winner’s medal around his neck.
“This can’t be right! He must have cheated,’ cried Noel the hare. “Everyone knows I’m faster
than him!” “Archibald the tortoise didn’t cheat,” said Wallace the wise old owl. “He has won
fair and square. Slowly and surely, never giving up, Archibald passed the finishing line first.
Sorry Noel old chap, but you’ve lost this race. Let that be a lesson to you – slow and steady wins
the race!”Noel the hare looked very unhappy and sulky. Archibald the tortoise felt sorry for him
and tried to cheer him up…“Cheer up Noel, it was only a race,” Archibald said. “I’m sure you’ll
win the next one. And I’d rather we were still friends than win every race under the sun.”And
from that day on they became the best of friends and Noel the hare never boasted again.
 Kung Bakit may Tagsibol at Taglagas

Si Proserpina ay isang dalagang magandang-maganda. Katulong siya ng kanyang inang si

Demiter sa pangangalaga sa mga halaman sa lupa. Kung minsan ang mag-ina ay namimitas ng
mga bulaklak na basa pa ng hamog kung bukang-liwayway. Kung minsan naman ay
nakikipagsayaw si Proserpina sa kanyang mga kapwa dalaga sa gitna ng parang. Masaya ang
buhay ng mag-ina.

Nang mga panahong yaon ay malungkot si Pluto. Nag-iisa siya sa kanyang kaharian sa ilalim ng
lupa. Ibig niyang magkaroon ng reyna. Marami nang dalaga ang kanyang pinaghandugan ng
mga mahal at magagandang hiyas, ngunit isa man ay walang mahikayat na tumira sa kanyang
kaharian.

Isang araw ay nagtungo si Pluto sa ibabaw ng lupa. Nakalulan siya sa kanyang gintong karosa na
hinihila ng mga kabayong walang kamatayan. Mabilis ang takbo ng mga kabayo. Nagkataong
nasa parang noon sina Proserpina at ang kanyang mga kaibigan. Nakita siya ni Pluto.

“Siya ang gagawin kong reyna ng aking kaharian,” ang bulong ng hari.

Pinatakbo ni Pluto ang kanyang mga kabayo at inagaw ang dalagang namimitas ng mga
bulaklak. Humingi ng tulong si Proserpina. Tumawag siya sa kanyang amang si Seus, ngunit hindi
siya narinig nito.

Walang nakarinig sa kanyang kasisigaw maliban sa isang mahiwagang diyosang ang pangalan ay
Hekate. Gayunman ay sumigaw rin nang sumigaw si Proserpina. Ang alingawngaw ng kanyang
sigaw ay ikinalat ng hangin sa mga burol at kagubatan hanggang sa narinig ni Demiter na noo’y
nasa malayong pook.

Dali-daling nagbalik sa Sisilya si Demiter. Una niyang tinungo ang kanilang tahanan upang
tingnan si Proserpina. Wala roon ang dalaga. Naghanap si Demiter. Siyam na araw niyang
hinanap ang nawawalang anak. May dala siyang dalawang sulo na itinatanglaw sa lahat ng sulok
ng lupa, ngunit di niya matagpuan ang dalaga. Dahil sa laki ng kanyang kalungkutan ay hindi siya
tumikim ng anumang pagkain ni inumin.

Dumating sa kanya si Hekate nang ikasampung araw. Ibinalita sa kanyang narinig niya ang mga
sigaw ni Proserpina ngunit hindi niya nakita kung sino ang umagaw.
 Bakit Mataas ang Langit?

Noong unang panahon ay may mag-ina ang nakatira sa isang bahay-kubo. Ang anak na si Maria
ay may suklay na ginto at kuwintas na may butil-butil na ginto. Halos araw-araw ay isinusukat
niya ang suklay at kuwintas at tinitingnan niya sa kanyang anino sa tubig kung siya ay maganda.
Isang araw nang isinusukat ni Maria ang suklay at ang kuwintas ay tinawag siya ng kanyang
nanay.Maria, magbayo ka ng palay,” ang wika ng ina.
“Opo,” ang sagot ni Maria, nguni’t hindi siya kumilos.
“Maria, magmadali ka,” ang tawag na muli ng matanda. “Wala tayong bigas na isasaing.”
“Opo, sandali po lamang,” ang tugon ni Maria, nguni’t hindi niya inaalis ang kanyang tingin sa
kanyang anino sa tubig.
“Maria, sinasabi ko na sa iyong magbayo ka ng palay. Madali ka,” ang galit na galit na utos ng
matanda.Tumindig si Maria at tuloy-tuloy siya sa lusong ng palay. Hindi na niya naalis ang suklay
at kuwintas. Nalalaman niyang kapag galit na galit na ang kanyang nanay ay dapat siyang
sumunod nang madali. Nagbayo na siya nang nagbayo ng palay. Pagkatapos ng ilang sandali,
siya ay pinawisan.“Napupuno ng pawis ang aking kuwintas,” ang wika ni Maria sa kanyang sarili.
“Hinubad niya ang kuwintas. Inalis ang kanyang suklay. Isinabit ang mga ito sa langit na noon ay
mababang-mababa at naabot ng kamay. Samantalang siya ay nagbabayo ay tinitingnan ang
suklay at kuwintas.“Kay ganda ng aking suklay at kuwintas,” ang wika ni Maria sa kanyang sarili.
“Pagkatapos na pagkatapos ko nang pagbabayo ng palay ay isusuot ko uli ang aking suklay at
kuwintas.” Sa gayong pagsabi ay dinalas niya ang pagbabayo ng palay upang ito ay matapos at
maisuot niya uli ang suklay at kuwintas. Tumaas ng tumaas ang pagbuhat niya ng halo at
dumalas nang dumalas ang pagbagsak nito sa lusong. Umaabot na pala ang dulo ng halo sa
langit, nguni’t hindi niya napapansin. Sa palay na ngayon ang kanyang tingin. Tinitingnan niya
kung malapit na siyang makatapos upang maisuot niya ang suklay at kuwintas. Itinaas pa niyang
lalo ang pagbuhat ng halo upang lumakas ang pagbagsak nito sa lusong at nang madaling
mabayo ang palay.

Sa bawat pagtaas pala niya ng halo ay bumubunggo ang halo sa langit at sa bawat pagbunggo
naman ay tumataas ang langit. Nang mapuna ni Maria ang nangyayari ay mataas na ang langit.
Tangay-tangay ang kanyang gintong suklay at kuwintas. Hindi na niya maabot ang mga ito.

Tumaas nang tumaas ang langit. Tumaas din nang tumaas ang suklay at kuwintas. Noong gabing
yaon ay umupo si Maria sa may bintana at tinintingnan niya ang langit na ngayon ay mataas na
mataas na. Hinanap niya ang kanyang suklay at kuwintas. Naroroon ang kanyang gintong suklay
at siyang naging buwan. Ang mga gintong butil ng kanyang kuwintas at nagkahiwa-hiwalay at
siya namang naging mga bituin.

“Lalong maganda ngayon ang aking gintong suklay,” ang wika ni Maria sa kanyang sarali, “At
anong kinang ng mga butil ng aking kuwintas!”