In a peaceful little village lived two very
different friends: Koko the cat and Kuri the turtle.
Koko was known for being agile, fast, and just a little bit arrogant.
Meanwhile, Kuri was slow, calm, and always carried his house wherever he went.
One day, Koko was sitting on a fence, teasing
Kuri, who was slowly making his way to the pond.
“Hey, Kuri! Are you walking or daydreaming? If
you had a walking race with a snail, the snail would probably get mad for
having to wait for you!” Koko laughed out loud.
Kuri stopped and looked at Koko patiently. “You
know, Koko? Sometimes the slow ones are the ones who arrive first.”
Koko laughed even harder. “What?! Are you saying
you could beat me in a race?”
Kuri smiled. “Let’s prove it. Let’s race from
here to the big mango tree at the edge of the meadow.”
Feeling like he had already won, Koko agreed
without hesitation.
The next day, all the animals in the village
gathered to watch. There was Mouse, Chicken, Duck, and even Pig, who came
carrying a bucket of popcorn (no one knows from where). The race was about to
begin!
“Three... two... one... GO!” shouted Duck, who
was acting as the referee.
Koko shot off like an arrow. Dust flew, leaves
spun, and within seconds, Koko was already halfway there. He looked back—Kuri
hadn’t even reached the first bend.
“This is way too easy,” Koko thought. “I can
take a little nap and still win.”
He lay down under a tree and started purring
softly, “Zzz... zzz…”
Meanwhile, Kuri kept walking slowly but
steadily. “Small steps, but steady,” he mumbled with a smile.
Hours passed. Koko was still fast asleep,
dreaming of grilled fish and dining with a Persian cat in Paris.
Eventually, Kuri passed by the sleeping Koko,
silent as ever. Step by step, he made it to the finish line, greeted by cheers
from all the animals.
As the sun was about to set, Koko woke up and
was shocked to see Kuri surrounded by excited friends.
“What?! How is that possible?!” Koko asked in
disbelief.
Kuri just smiled. “You’re fast, Koko, but I’m
consistent.”
Koko bowed his head in shame, then burst out
laughing. “Alright, Kuri. From now on, I won’t underestimate turtles ever
again. Not even the ones carrying luggage!”
All the animals burst out laughing. Pig even
choked on his popcorn.
Since that day, Koko and Kuri remained best
friends. Koko learned to be more patient, and Kuri... well, he kept walking
slowly. Because really, what’s the rush when you can take it easy and still get
there?
Moral of
the story: Don’t be arrogant just because you’re fast, and don’t feel
small just because you’re slow. What matters most is to keep moving forward!