The Hare & the Tortoise by Aesop

A Hare was making fun of the Tortoise one day for being so slow.
"Do you ever get anywhere?" he asked with a mocking laugh.
"Yes," replied the Tortoise, "and I get there sooner than you think. I'll run you a race and prove it."
The Hare was much amused at the idea of running a race with the Tortoise, but for the fun of the thing he agreed. So the Fox, who had consented to act as judge, marked the distance and started the runners off.
The Hare was soon far out of sight, and to make the Tortoise feel very deeply how ridiculous it was for him to try a race with a Hare, he lay down beside the course to take a nap until the Tortoise should catch up.
The Tortoise meanwhile kept going slowly but steadily, and, after a time, passed the place where the Hare was sleeping. But the Hare slept on very peacefully; and when at last he did wake up, the Tortoise was near the goal. The Hare now ran his swiftest, but he could not overtake the Tortoise in time.

In 3–5 sentences, identify the two different points of view in The Hare and The Tortoise, and describe the humor and suspense created by the differences in point of view.

1 answer

The two different points of view in The Hare and The Tortoise are that of the Hare, who is confident and boastful, and that of the Tortoise, who is humble and determined. The humor comes from the Hare's overconfidence and belief that he can easily win, while the suspense comes from the fact that the Tortoise stays focused and makes steady progress, ultimately defeating the Hare. The story's differing points of view add depth and complexity to the plot, creating tension and amusement for the reader.