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Barlow 70. DE LEPORE ET TESTUDINE

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Testudo, cum pedes eius Lepus deridebat, subridens dixit, “Si periculum in cursu feceris, quis sit velocior liquido cognosces.” Elegerunt igitur Vulpem, quae ambobus et locum et terminum cursus constitueret. Testudo, omni segnitie remota, iter arripiens, haud quievit donec ad terminum pervenerat. Lepus vero, pedibus fidens, postquam paululum quievit, somno excitatus, quantum pedes valuerunt ad terminum cucurrit ubi, cum Testudinem quiescentem reperit, se fatetur a Testudine superatum.

Translation: The tortoise, when the hare made fun of his feet, smiled and said, "If you will compete in a race, you will clearly see who is faster." So they chose the fox to establish for the two of them both the location and the finish line of the race. The tortoise,  putting aside all laziness, started on her way and did not rest until she had reached the finish line. The hare, however, trusting in his feet, rested a little while. Then, after he woke up from his nap, he ran as fast as his feet would carry him to the finish line. When he found the tortoise resting there, the hare had to confess that he had been beaten by a tortoise.

[This translation is meant as a help in understanding the story, not as a "crib" for the Latin. I have not hesitated to change the syntax to make it flow more smoothly in English, altering the verb tense consistently to narrative past tense, etc.]

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