The Hare and the Tortoise

The hare was the handsomest hare in the world,

With a white fluffy bobtail and whiskers that curled.

He lived in a field, and his favourite sport was

Leapfrogging over the back of the tortoise.

The hare went a-loping, a-lolloping, a-leaping.

The tortoise went crawling, a-creaking, a-creeping.

The hare claimed that no one was faster than he.

He asked all the animals, "Who'll race with me?"

The tortoise said, "I will!" The hare roared with laughter.

"Race with a tortoise? Why, what could be dafter?

I'll go a-loping, a-lolloping, a-leaping.

You'll come a-crawling, a-creaking, a-creeping."

They mapped out a course and they fixed on a day.

It's one-two-three go! and the hare is away,

Whisking his bobtail and frisking and gambolling.

Way back behind him the tortoise is ambling.

The hare goes a-loping, a-lolloping, a-leaping.

The tortoise comes crawling, a-creaking, a-creeping.

The hare is half-way when he stretches and blinks.

"I've nothing to lose if I snatch forty winks."

His head drops, his eyes close, and soon he is slumbering.

Inching towards him the tortoise is lumbering.

The hare is a-snoring, a-snoozing, a-sleeping.

The tortoise comes crawling, a-creaking, a-creeping.

The hare wakes and starts: is it real or a ghost?

The tortoise is nearing the finishing post.

The hare helterskelters but just doesn't do it.

Slowcoach the tortoise has beaten him to it.

The hare lost a-snoring, a-snoozing, a-sleeping.

The tortoise won crawling, a-creaking, a-creeping.