Tortoise and I

Sooo...I've been a lazy blogger again (but busy person)...I have some post ideas brewing like my coffee, but I have a paper I'm working on at the moment (which may double as a post if I end up liking it) so I'm going to go to my file of last year literature assignments and scrounge up something to pass as remotely interesting...

This was a little assignment of re-writing The Tortoise and The Hare in first person...that's all I got...
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4/29/11

Tortoise and Hare 1^st person

It was a warm sunny day. I felt the sun beating down on me, the fresh air moving through me, and my adrenaline rising in me. I wanted to race. I was an undefeated champion. I choke on the word ‘was’, for although I am prideful, I am not dishonest. I was surrounded by many of the meadow dwellers, the Raccoon, the Fox, Mr. and Mrs. Squirrel, all my little niece and nephew bunnies, and a few other faces which I wasn’t quite acquainted with. I shared with them my legends of triumph, while assessing each member of my audience as a potential opponent, or a potential threat. Soon after slight hesitation about the fox’s athletic abilities, I convinced myself that I should not be worried. After all, I am a champion. I then offered a competition, “I have never been beaten,” I announced, “when I go full speed. I challenge anyone here to race with me.”

                “I accept your challenge.” I heard from a meek voice. I was a bit nervous and perplexed, for this quiet yet confident voice seemed to come from the Fox. But I soon was relieved, although further surprised, when the fox stepped aside, and revealed an old Tortoise as the owner of my future opponent’s voice. After the brief moment of shock, and staring at my volunteering competitor who was undeniably no match, I burst out into laughter, “That is a good joke! I could dance around you all the way!” Then that dumb, old tortoise had the audacity to say to me, “Keep your boasting till you’ve won. Shall we race?” That was it. If that over-sized turtle wanted to challenge me, then so be it. “It’s not like I could possibly lose,” I said to myself, “I’ll show that tortoise.”

                A course was planned out, and I took my place at the starting line, while waiting for the tortoise to join me. I rolled my eyes. As the fox raised the branched and yelled, “GO!”, my strong hind legs launched me through the air and off to a remarkable start. “Too bad I don’t even need this incredible lead,” I speculated as I sprinted, “that sluggish tortoise is probably still plodding along back there. I might as well take a brief break, since I can already see the finish line in the distance.” I laid my handsome, furry self in the long, cool, green grass. “How nice it is to relax.” I sighed. When I woke up refreshed and ready to finish, I rubbed my eyes, and faced the finish line. I couldn’t believe it! Just short of the finish line was the tortoise! I shot off as if dynamite had just exploded underneath me. “He can’t win! He can’t!” My mind yelled, my feet flew, my heart raced, my lungs starved. I tumbled past the finish line. I was greeted by cheering mobs. I thought, “I did it!  and proceeded to take my bow, but I was interrupted by clamorous chants of “TORTOISE! TORTOISE! TORTOISE!” My arms lowered, jaw dropped, and heart sank. I, the swiftest, had been defeated by the slowest.