The Hare and the Tortoise

Put the verbs in the Simple Past to complete the story.

The Hare and the Tortoise ________________(live) in the forest with all the other animals. The Hare
______________(dash) about all day, but the Tortoise _______________(move) slowly wherever he
____________(go). The Hare often _______________(talk) about how fast he ____________(run) and
_____________(make) fun of the Tortoise for his short legs and slow movements.

One day the Tortoise _____________(lose) his patience with the Hare and ________ (be) very angry.
‘That’s enough,’ he _____________(say) and ___________________(challenge) the Hare to a race. The Hare
___________ (laugh) at the Tortoise. He ____________(think) it was a great joke. He ______ (know) he
__________(can) run much faster than the Tortoise. The Tortoise ____________(have) no chance of winning.

‘All right,’ the Hare ____________(anwser). ‘You’re on. Let’s have a race.’

They ________(set) the course and ___________(choose) the fox to be the umpire.

They ___________(begin) as everyone ___________(expect). The Hare __________(fly) off and

______________(leave) the Tortoise far behind. When he _____________(reach) the halfway mark, the Hare
__________(look) for the Tortoise, but he ___________(be) a long way back, so the Hare _________ (sit) down and
___________(take) a break. He _______(eat) some grass and ___________(close) his eyes, but it __________(be)
so warm he ___________ (fall) asleep.

Meanwhile the Tortoise _______________(continue). He _________(put) one foot in front of the other and
never ___________(stop) and never ___________ (slow) down. As he _____________ (pass) the halfway mark, he
_____________(find) the Hare fast asleep by the side of the path. He _____________(sneak) past quietly. He
_________________(not/want) to wake him.

After a while the Hare ____________(wake) up suddenly and _________ (see) the Tortoise far ahead of
him. He _____________(jump) up and _______ (go) as fast as he could, but it __________(be) too late. When he
__________ (get) to the finish line, the Tortoise __________(be) already there.

‘I __________(win),’ the Tortoise __________(say), with a big smile on his face.

The Hare _____________(learn) his lesson. He _________________ (apologise) to the Tortoise and never
________________(make) fun of him again.