Aesop's Phrases

The Hare and the Tortoise. 18 by Townsend

A HARE one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise, who replied, laughing: "Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race." The Hare, believing her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course and fix the goal. On the day appointed for the race the two started together. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The Hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after herfatigue.
Slow but steady wins the race.

Pe226=Ch352, L'Es132, Jacobs68, CS38, TMI K11.3, Type275A

quotation from BABRIUS AND PHAEDRUS by BEN EDWIN PERRY. LCL.436

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20.A FABLE IN RHYMED VERSE FROM Ms. ADD. 11619 IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM

649 The Stag, the Hedgehog, and the Boar:

Cervus et hericius agrum consevere,
Quem, cum seges creverat, vastaverunt fere.
Super hoc consilium simul iniere,
Quis custodiret agrum, sortemque dedere. Etc.

A stag and a hedgehog, as partners, sowed a field with grain, but when the crop ripened the wild beasts began to ravage it, whereupon they agreed that one of the two partners should keep guard over it. The duty of guarding the field fell by lot to the stag, who proceeded to join with the other animals in plundering the crop. When the hedgehog observed this he protested indignantly and proposed to act as guardian himself, to which the stag consented. The hedgehog proved to be a very diligent guardian, and so managed to save much of the crop; but the partners disagreed and quarrelled with each other for a long time when it came to dividing the harvest. On the third day the stag brought along with him a boar, who consented to act as judge between the two contestants, provided that they would accept his verdict, and they agreed to do so. Then the boar ruled that the entire field of grain should become the property of the one who should beat the other in a foot-race. On hearing this verdict, the hedgehog was dismayed and protested vigorously:

"Heu!" infit hericius, "non est tibi cure
De cervi longissimo deque meo crure
Hoc est impossibile, contra ius nature,
Ut michi perveniat illo victoria iure."

He went home weeping, and when his wife learned what the trouble was she devised a scheme by which he might win the race: "We look so much alike," said she, "that nobody can possibly tell us apart. Now you stand with the stag at the beginning of the race-course, and I will station myself close to the end; then, when the stag approaches me, I will run to the goal ahead of him and claim the victory." By following this plan the hedgehog won the race and with it the field of gain.

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KHM187, TMI K3.1, Type275A*

Actually, in a Marathon race in South Africa, on the way, one of the twins interchanged with another at the toilet, and won a prize of 1000 dollars for 9th. But that trick was detected by the press.[Jun,1999]

Bulfinch's Mythology The Age of Fable http://www.bulfinch.org/fables/bull18.html

CHAPTER 18. ATLANTA

In the garden of her temple, in her own island of Cyprus, is a tree with yellow leaves and yellow branches, and golden fruit.
Hence Venus gathered three golden apples, and, unseen by all else, gave them to Hippomenes, and told him how to use them. The signal is given; each starts from the goal, and skims over the sand. So light their tread, you would almost have thought they might run over the river surface or over the waving grain without sinking. The cries of the spectators cheered on Hippomenes: "Now, now do your best! Haste, haste! You gain on her! Relax not! One more effort!" It was doubtful whether the youth or the maiden heard these cries with the greater pleasure. But his breath began to fail him, his throat was dry, the goal yet far off. At that moment he threw down one of the golden apples. The virgin was all amazement. She stopped to pick it up. Hippomenes shot ahead. Shouts burst forth from all sides. She redoubled her efforts, and soon overtook him. Again he threw an apple. She stopped again, but again came up with him. The goal was near; one chance only remained. "Now, goddess," said he, "prosper your gift!" and threw the last apple off at one side. She looked at it, and hesitated; Venus impelled her to turn aside for it. She did so, and was vanquished. The youth carried off his prize.

Ovid-The Metamorphoses: Book 10 638-680
http://www.tkline.freeserve.co.uk/Webworks/Website/Metamorph10.htm#_Toc484521429