The Hare and the Tortoise Traditional Cache
The Hare and the Tortoise
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With my caching partners, we tried to make the cache “containers” fun to find for the whole family. All of them are a few steps only from the trail so that they are easy for little ones to get to. You’ll be looking for a character or object from the fable featured in the cache description, so read the title carefully and have fun! Also, bring a pencil or a pen. Enjoy!
CONGRATS to the LITTLE BUMS (of Burder Bums) on FTF!
As a kid, my favorite stories were some of Jean de La Fontaine’s fables. This series presents some of his better-known stories, and some of the ones that fascinated me the most as a child.
La Fontaine was one of the most read French poets of the 17th century. The fables presented here were first published in 1668, and, for most, adapted from classical fabulists such as Aesop.
The moral to the story…
Even if the fables were not meant to be children’s stories when La Fontaine wrote them, they were seen as a great way to teach kids important lessons: to not be greedy or vain, to work hard, to not underestimate the importance of people or things, to think of the consequences of their actions, etc.
For me, they were just beautifully told.
I hope these caches make you discover – or rediscover – great stories to share with little ones!
The Hare and the Tortoise
(Jean de La Fontaine, book 6, fable 10 - translation by Norman B. Spector*)
Rushing is useless; one has to leave on time. To such
Truth witness is given by the Tortoise and the Hare.
"Let’s make a bet," the former once said, "that you won’t touch
That line as soon as I." "As soon? Are you all there,
Neighbor?" said the rapid beast.
"You need a purge: four grains at least
Of hellebore, you’re now so far gone."
"All there or not, the bet’s still on."
So it was done; the wagers of the two
Were placed at the finish, in view.
It doesn’t matter what was down at stake,
Nor who was the judge that they got.
Our Hare had, at most, four steps or so to take.
I mean the kind he takes when, on the verge of being caught,
He outruns dogs sent to the calends for their pains,
Making them run all over the plains.
Having, I say, time to spare, sleep, browse around,
Listen to where the wind was bound,
He let the Tortoise leave the starting place
In stately steps, wide-spaced.
Straining, she commenced the race:
Going slow was how she made haste.
He, meanwhile, thought such a win derogatory,
Judged the bet to be devoid of glory,
Believed his honor was all based
On leaving late. He browsed, lolled like a king,
Amused himself with everything
But the bet. When at last he took a look,
Saw that she’d almost arrived at the end of the course,
He shot off like a bolt. But all of the leaps he took
Were in vain; the Tortoise was first perforce.
"Well, now!" she cried out to him. "Was I wrong?
What good is all your speed to you?
The winner is me! And how would you do
If you also carried a house along?"
*For the Chicago/Norther Illinois Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of French (1999). (visit link)
Le lièvre et la tortue
(Jean de La Fontaine, livre 6, fable 10)
Rien ne sert de courir; il faut partir à point :
Le lièvre et la tortue en sont un témoignage.
«Gageons, dit celle-ci, que vous n'atteindrez point
Sitôt que moi ce but. - Sitôt? Êtes-vous sage ?
Repartit l'animal léger :
Ma commère, il vous faut purger
Avec quatre grains d'ellébore.
- Sage ou non, je parie encore."
Ainsi fut fait; et de tous deux
On mit près du but les enjeux :
Savoir quoi, ce n'est pas l'affaire,
Ni de quel juge l'on convint.
Notre lièvre n'avait que quatre pas à faire,
J'entends de ceux qu'il fait lorsque, prêt d'être atteint,
Il s'éloigne des chiens, les renvoie aux calendes,
Et leur fait arpenter les landes.
Ayant, dis-je, du temps de reste pour brouter,
Pour dormir et pour écouter
D'où vient le vent, il laisse la tortue
Aller son train de sénateur.
Elle part, elle s'évertue,
Elle se hâte avec lenteur.
Lui cependant méprise une telle victoire,
Tient la gageure à peu de gloire,
Croit qu'il y a de son honneur
De partir tard. Il broute, il se repose,
Il s'amuse à toute autre chose
Qu'à la gageure. A la fin, quand il vit
Que l'autre touchait presque au bout de la carrière,
Il partit comme un trait; mais les élans qu'il fit
Furent vains : la tortue arriva la première.
« Eh bien! lui cria-t-elle, avais-je pas raison ?
De quoi vous sert votre vitesse ?
Moi l'emporter! et que serait-ce
Si vous portiez une maison ? »
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Zef. Ghegyr unf pyvzorq va n gerr npebff gur genvy sebz ovt ebpxf. Fur thneqf gur zvpeb pbagnvare gung ubyqf gur ybt obbx.