A Variation on the Tortoise and the Hare

 Dear Reader,

The story of The Tortoise and the Hare is one of Aesop's Fables.   It is the account of a race between unequal partners and has attracted conflicting interpretations.  

The fable itself is a variant of a common folktale theme in which ingenuity and trickery are employed to overcome a stronger opponent.

The one sense it is no surprise as to why the classic moral of the story is "slow and steady wins the race'.  This is what takes place in the fable, the tortoise did move slowly and did win the race.

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I do everything slowly these days and find the pace very comforting.  No rushing about, no headlong dashes somewhere, just an even step to help me along the way.  Would that I had known that earlier in my life and I might have taken different turns.

                                                                              

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 From D.H. Lawrence  April 18th 1918 in Berkshire

'Yesterday there was deep snow, though the trees are in bloom.  Plum trees and cherry trees full of blossom look so queer in a snow landscape, their lovely foamy fullness goes a sort of pinky drab, and the snow looks fiendish in its cold incandescence.  I hated in violently.'

From John Ruskin  April 19th  1873 in Lancashire

'Up at 5, out at 6, in calm morning, wholly glorious.   Lake like a dream.....Entirely Paradise of a day, cloudless and pure till 5; then East wind a little, but clearing for twilight.  Did  little but saunter among the primroses and work on beach.'

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A Variation on the Tortoise and the Hare

The tortoise, shell-encased,
shy and timid,
was fond of quiet places.
He ate lettuce sandwiches
drank bottled water
and did deep breathing exercises.
He was slow alright,
but kept on "keeping on", getting there,
although a little fearful
of what life can bring.

Then, he discovered anxiety pills
and grew bolder,
he opinionated more,
rejected lettuce,
ate avocado and prawn cocktails,
drank vodka,
and tried his hand at salsa dancing.
Confidence changed him.
He became the hare.

This hare spoke his mind.
He jumped and danced
texted and mobiled friends,
arranged outings,
and had a ball.
But the Gods were watching him,
they sent a "don't forget card"
to remind him of his tortoise life,
his quiet life,
the life that was right and good
for a tortoise.

He threw the anxiety pills away
and slowly his shell grew back,
he started reading again,
he talked less,
thought more,
enjoyed lettuce sandwiches
and drank bottled water.
He became the tortoise
that he was meant to be.

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With very best wishes, Patricia