It is narrated that once upon a day there was a hare coming to drink water in a pond. While he was drinking, he saw a snail floating himself on the surface of water. This made the hare feel such an intense hatred towards the snail that he moved to drink at another place nearby.
The snail, seeing such sickening behavior of the rabbit, said to him, "Hey, Brother Hare! Have you gained permission for a drink here?" "This pond's got no owner," the hare replied tersely in an irritating manner, "so I don't have to ask for permission from anyone." "We've been looking after this pond for ages." said the snail, "ask us if you'd like a drink."
This word made the hare so angry that he scornfully mocked at the snail aloud. "Snail!" said the hare, "you've been neither far in a paddy field nor a farm; your mouth is the only way to make a move, and you've been familiar merely with the space on the surface of water; how come you would dare boast that you are the pond owner.""You're right - I am legless, and unlike you, I know neither the faraway paddy field nor farm. But if you want to make a bet with me, let's run in a race; I am not afraid of you."
Hearing that he was challenged by the snail, the hare was much angrier. "I should not let the snail boast about that." Thought the hare, "Every one knows that I've got great intelligence and I am the quickest and fastest runner.""I feel no fear for you." Said the hare, "see you here tomorrow for a race; we are going to run three laps around this pond. If I lose the race, I'll quit drinking water from the pond, but if you lose, leave this pond." Then, the hare left home.
Speaking about the snail, after the hare had left, he gathered together all other snails in the pond for a plan. "Tomorrow morning we have to station our buddies around the edge of the pond." One snail talked to them, "If the hare shout out, "Hey, Snail!" loudly, then the snail who is ahead of the hare has to shout Kuk".
Next morning the hare arrived at the pond. He saw the snail waiting for him at a pond edge where they both had arranged to meet. Then, the hare and the snail started the race. As soon as he raced one lap around the pond, the hare called out to the snail. "Hey, Snail!" shouted the hare. "The snail in front of the hare answered "Kuk". Having heard the snail shouting ahead of him, the hare ran at his best, since he believed that the snail was truly ahead of him. After the second lap, the hare called out to him again. Then the snail ahead of the hare shouted, "Kuk!" again. The hare had not realized that it was the snail's trick; he thought that the snail ran faster than he did. He then tried all his energy and efforts to run for the last lap.
After running three complete laps around the pond, the hare was every disappointed because the snail had been waiting for him at the starting point. The hare conceded that he lost the race and felt embarrassed for himself from the fact that he was the loser in the running race with the snail. He left the pond and was fiercely committed not to drink water in the pond forever.
Since then, it has been observed that hares have stopped drinking water in ponds and never drunk water at all. Snails, on the other hand, have lived peacefully in ponds forever.
- THE END -
The snail, seeing such sickening behavior of the rabbit, said to him, "Hey, Brother Hare! Have you gained permission for a drink here?" "This pond's got no owner," the hare replied tersely in an irritating manner, "so I don't have to ask for permission from anyone." "We've been looking after this pond for ages." said the snail, "ask us if you'd like a drink."
This word made the hare so angry that he scornfully mocked at the snail aloud. "Snail!" said the hare, "you've been neither far in a paddy field nor a farm; your mouth is the only way to make a move, and you've been familiar merely with the space on the surface of water; how come you would dare boast that you are the pond owner.""You're right - I am legless, and unlike you, I know neither the faraway paddy field nor farm. But if you want to make a bet with me, let's run in a race; I am not afraid of you."
Hearing that he was challenged by the snail, the hare was much angrier. "I should not let the snail boast about that." Thought the hare, "Every one knows that I've got great intelligence and I am the quickest and fastest runner.""I feel no fear for you." Said the hare, "see you here tomorrow for a race; we are going to run three laps around this pond. If I lose the race, I'll quit drinking water from the pond, but if you lose, leave this pond." Then, the hare left home.
Speaking about the snail, after the hare had left, he gathered together all other snails in the pond for a plan. "Tomorrow morning we have to station our buddies around the edge of the pond." One snail talked to them, "If the hare shout out, "Hey, Snail!" loudly, then the snail who is ahead of the hare has to shout Kuk".
Next morning the hare arrived at the pond. He saw the snail waiting for him at a pond edge where they both had arranged to meet. Then, the hare and the snail started the race. As soon as he raced one lap around the pond, the hare called out to the snail. "Hey, Snail!" shouted the hare. "The snail in front of the hare answered "Kuk". Having heard the snail shouting ahead of him, the hare ran at his best, since he believed that the snail was truly ahead of him. After the second lap, the hare called out to him again. Then the snail ahead of the hare shouted, "Kuk!" again. The hare had not realized that it was the snail's trick; he thought that the snail ran faster than he did. He then tried all his energy and efforts to run for the last lap.
After running three complete laps around the pond, the hare was every disappointed because the snail had been waiting for him at the starting point. The hare conceded that he lost the race and felt embarrassed for himself from the fact that he was the loser in the running race with the snail. He left the pond and was fiercely committed not to drink water in the pond forever.
Since then, it has been observed that hares have stopped drinking water in ponds and never drunk water at all. Snails, on the other hand, have lived peacefully in ponds forever.
- THE END -
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