The Boat and the Beetle

Once upon a time, there was a beetle who loved to tell everyone how fast he could run. "I am the fastest insect in the park," he would boast proudly. His slow and steady friend, the snail, grew tired of hearing him brag. One day, the snail challenged him to a race. "Ha," the beetle thought to himself, "there is no way a snail could ever win against me."

On the day of the race, all the insects in the park gathered to watch. The centipede waved a checkered flag to start the race. The beetle zoomed past the starting line as fast as he could. Meanwhile, the snail carefully inched herself forward bit by bit. The beetle cried out, "You will never win this race at that slow, slow pace."

Out of breath from running, the beetle eventually reached a small pond of water. He thought, "I have plenty of time. I'll just go around the pond." The beetle sped off on his way. Inch by inch, the snail crawled along the path. As she reached the pond, she thought, "It would be much shorter if I could somehow float across the water."

The snail gathered up some leaves, twigs, and vine. She fashioned a small boat that helped her glide smoothly across the water of the pond. When she got to the other side, she hopped off the boat and could see all of her friends waiting for her at the finish line. Little by little, the snail crept along the path until she crossed the finish line at long last. All of her friends cheered, "Hooray for snail!"