Entering Tortoise in the race was a cruel joke by the contestants;
he’d never win.
But Fox, having overeaten, collapsed in exhaustion.
Hare, confident of his lead, stopped to flirt with bunnies.
Bear departed, hearing her cub’s distant cries.
Cat, a stray, spotted animal control and went into hiding.
As Tortoise crossed the finish line, the others cried foul:
he’d devised their distractions.
Owl silenced them. “Never underestimate an opponent. Only one of you did not.”
And with that, Tortoise was declared the winner.