2020-08 The Hare and the Tortoise

In my years as a scouter I have come across this fable many times within Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. You have the brand new cub that both scout and parents are super excited to earn every award ever created and they shoot out of the gates so quick that within 3 months they have earned every adventure belt loop for the rank of wolf and are left with the question for the remainder of the year, “Now What?” In my experience they usually end up dropping out until they are eligible to being working on the next rank when they are of age. Or, worst case scenario, they get bored and leave the pack. The same happens within the troop to a certain degree. When the scouts burst through the gates to earn every merit badge and rank as fast as possible, they tend to burn themselves out. I have also witnessed 16 year old scouts being so burned out and not wanting to complete just 2 more required merit badges along with their eagle project and then 3 weeks before their 18th birthday decide to give it another shot just to find out that they ran out of time. I guess you could say that slow and steady earns the eagle. Here is Aesop’s fable of the Hare and the Tortoise.

The Hare & the Tortoise

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.