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"The Hare and the Tortoise Race" 
Eleven Variations 
Sharon Peregrine Johnson 

Introduction 

This paper compares eleven versions of "The Hare and the Tortoise 
Race." In these variations a slow, more intelligent creature always 
beats a fast, overconfident animal through trickery or perseverance. 
The slower creature wins by the use of deception, or simply 
because the other contender is so overconfident that he sleeps 
through the race. The boastful animal needing a lesson in humility 
is a whale, reedbuck, cat, coyote, wolf, or rabbit; and the slow 
creature is a sea slug, crab, skunk, tortoise, or hedgehog. The 
versions discussed in this paper and their shortened titles which I 
have assigned appear below. 

• "How the Turtle Beat the Rabbit" edited by James E. 
Connolly (Cherokee). Shortened title is "Cherokee 
Tale." 

• "The Little Turtle and the Wolf" by Betty Mae Jumper 
(Seminole). Shortened title is "Seminole Tale." 

• "The Race" edited by Robert A. Roessel, Jr. and 
Dillon Platero. Shortened title is "Navaho Tale." 

• "The Hare and the Tortoise" by Aesop, retold by 
James Reeves (Greece). Shortened title is "Aesop 
Tale." 

• "Slow Train to Arkansas" by Harold Coulander 
(United States). Shortened title is "Arkansas Tale." 

• "Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match at Last" from Uncle 
Remus by Joel Chandler Harris (American Negro I). 
Shortened title is "Uncle Remus Tale." 

• "Rabbit and Hedgehog" collected by Richard M. 
Dorson (American Negro II). Shortened title is 
"American Hedgehog Tale." 

• "The Tortoise and the Reedbuck Run a Race" by 
W.F.P. Burton (Central Africa). Shortened title is 
"African Reedbuck Tale." 

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Johnson 

• "The Hare and the Hedgehog" by Walter de la Mare, similar to 
Grimm and Grimm version (Germany). Shortened title is "Ger-
man Hedgehog Tale." 

• "The Cat and the Crab" edited by Keigo Seki (Japan I). Short-
ened title paper is "Japanese Cat Tale." 

• "The Whale and the Sea Slug" edited by Keigo Seki (Japan II). 
Shortened title is "Japanese Whale Tale" 

History, Country, and Origins 

Atelia Clarkson says that "Stories about races between slow and fast 
animals are among the oldest tales in the world" (167). Clarkson notes that 
the earliest analyses of these tales divided them into three principal forms in 
which the slower animal wins through perseverance or deception. I have 
added an additional form that occurs in some Native American versions. 

• Slower animal wins through perseverance because the other is 
overly confident and falls asleep (Tale Type 275A, Hare and 
Tortoise Race: The Sleeping Hare) (Clarkson and Cross 169). 
Stith Thompson refers to this version using the main Motif 
K11.3, "Hare and Tortoise race: sleeping hare. In a race be-
tween the fast and the slow animal, the fast animal sleeps on 
the road and allows the slow animal to pass him" (MacDonald 
262). The "Aesop Tale" by Reeves is an example of this type. 
While no one is absolutely sure that a man named Aesop 
existed 2,000 years ago in Greece, most authorities are certain 
that Aesop Tales have been handed down for numerous 
generations (Reeves 12). 

• Slower creature hangs onto the tail of the faster animal and 
claims to have been waiting for his rival at the finish line (Tale 
Type 275, The Race of the Fox and the Crayfish). It has been 
reported that there are 23 recorded versions in Japan (Seki 25). 
The main Motif is K11.2.0.2, "Crab rides Fox's tail" 
(MacDonald 262). The "Japanese Cat Tale" by Seki is an 
example of this type. 

4 



 

"The Hare and the Tortoise Race" 

• Slower animal defeats the fast one by placing relatives or 
friends along the route. There are two descriptions for Tale 
Type 1074. One is "Race, the trickster gets others like him to 
take places in the line of the race. The dupe sees them and 
thinks the trickster is outrunning him" (Thompson, Types 151). 
The other is "Race Won by Deception: Relative Helpers" 
(Clarkson 169). The following tales are examples of this type: 
"Cherokee Tale," "Seminole Tale," "Uncle Remus Tale," 
"American Hedgehog Tale," "African Reedbuck Tale," 
"German Hedgehog Tale," and "Japanese Whale Tale." 

• Slower animal gets a head start, hides, sneaks back and eats all 
the prize. The main Motif is K11.5—"Race won by deception: 
Sham-sick trickster. The trickster feigns lameness and receives 
a handicap in the race. He then returns and eats up the food 
which is the prize (MacDonald 262). This is the closest motif 
for the "Navaho Tale." 

Numerous versions of these tale types are found in Africa, Germany, 
Europe, Japan, United States, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Russia and other 
places around the world. The principal Motifs are K11—"Race won by 
deception," K11.1—"Race won by deception: relative helpers," and K11.3—
"Hare and Tortoise race: sleeping hare." The motifs related to the versions 
selected for this analysis are: K11, K11.1, K11.1.0.3, K11.1.0.5, K11.1.0.7, 
K11.2—K11.2.0.7, K11.3, K11.5, K22.2.02 (MacDonald 261-263). 

The folklorist will try to find the variances and differences between the 
versions. Some of the key elements of "The Hare and the Tortoise Race" are 
listed below. 

• Animals that run the race (i.e., whale vs. sea slug, hare vs. hedge-
hog). 

• Trickster's helpers (whether they are friends or relatives, and the 
number). 

• Route and terrain of the race (i.e., the existence of ridges, trees, 
furrows for hiding). 

• Purpose of the race. Usually, it is to teach a lesson to a boasting 
animal and occasionally to win a prize. 

5 



 

Johnson 

• Interaction during the race between the contestants. In the "Semi-
nole Tale," Little Turtle sings a song to the Wolf. 

• Ending. The loser may admit defeat or dies, the lesson is told, or the 
author writes an added comment of the wisdom. In "Racing a 
Trickster" from Nigeria (a version that is not discussed in this 
paper) the race between Frog and Deer ends when the deer falls 
down from exhaustion and dies (Lankford 238). The "Uncle Remus 
Tale" ends with Uncle Remus explaining to the Little Boy about 
cheating. The "Aesop Tale" concludes with "Slow and steady wins 
the race." 

In addition to looking for various differences and similarities between 
versions, the folklorist will look for indications that the transcriber cleaned 
up a tale, added moralistic insertions, or inserted too much of her/his own 
writing style and prose (Clarkson 168). None of the tales seemed to have 
been guilty of these transgressions. And Clarkson and Cross did not feel that 
this was a problem in the retelling of "The Hare and the Hedgehog" 
("German Hedgehog Tale") by Walter de la Mare. She calls him a "master 
literary artist who uses the essential plot of the tale type as a framework for 
retelling" and proceeds to tell the reader of his accomplishments (Clarkson 
168). This tale is so common to numerous cultures and has been retold over 
and over again for such a long time, it is not surprising that there are so many 
versions. And they all seem to have a lesson for the reader. 

This seems to be more obvious in the Native American variants. These 
tales have a teaching lesson theme as an integral part of the story. In the 
introduction to the "Cherokee Tale," the author explains that "Indian story-
tellers often used a tale to instruct on what was considered improper 
behavior, such as boastfulness" (Connolly). James E. Connolly discusses the 
significance of the turtle to North American tribes and its relation to creation 
myths. Some editors and authors are not inclined to discuss these aspects, but 
instead let the tale speak for itself. 

The storyteller of folktales needs to be faithful to the intent and cultural 
considerations of the version being presented, and keep in mind any number-
ing considerations, repetitious phrases useful to audience participation, the 
basic plot, and other important elements. However, unlike the folklorist, there 
is more latitude to add personal modifications to the tale. Based upon 
personal experience I have noticed two possible problems with using "The 
Hare and the Tortoise Race" in a storytelling program. 

• Children hearing that the race was won by deception might 
respond as the little boy did in the "Uncle Remus Tale." The 
teller could 

6 



 

"The Hare and the Tortoise Race" 

respond to cheating as Uncle Remus did ("It is catching and one 
needs to be careful not to catch it.") or incorporate the wisdom of 
the animal in the telling. 

• Tales with a moral at the end are usually not very successful. If a 
storyteller must end with a moral, then the storyteller should consider 
the endings in the "Seminole Tale," the "Navaho Tale," the "Uncle 
Remus Tale," and the "German Hedgehog Tale." 

Structural (Plot) Variation 

There are some common elements throughout the eleven versions chosen for 
this paper. The faster animal's annoying behavior and boastful manner cause 
the slower animal to accept or issue the challenge. In these variants (listed in 
order of most occurrences first), the race occurs due to the following 
reasons: 

• The slower creature is ridiculed, pestered, or annoyed by the faster 
animal ("Seminole Tale," "Aesop Tale," "American Hedgehog Tale," 
and "German Hedgehog Tale"). 

• One or both animals are boasting and the weaker one wants to teach 
the faster one a lesson of humility ("Cherokee Tale," "African 
Reedbuck Tale," and "Japanese Whale Tale"). 

• The two animals are talking and decide to race ("Arkansas Tale," 
"Uncle Remus Tale," and "Japanese Cat Tale") 

• The faster animal wants the prize for himself ("Navaho Tale"). 

A race won by deception is the most prominent reason for the victory of 
the slower animal over the faster. The "Aesop Tale" was the only variant 
where the slow creature did not win through some form of deception (with or 
without helpers). The following reasons occurred in the variants discussed in 
this paper: 

• The race is won by deception, relative helpers are placed in locations 
along the route. In the "Uncle Remus Tale," the wife and three 
children are helpers; in the "American Hedgehog Tale," Old Lady 
Hedge's daughter is the helper; in the "African Reedbuck Tale," four 
turtle brothers are helpers, and in the "German Hedgehog Tale," 
Hedgehog's wife is the helper. 

7 



 

Johnson 

• The race won by deception: friends are placed in locations along 
the route. In the "Cherokee Tale," three turtle friends help; in the 
"Seminole Tale," four turtle friends help; and in the "Arkansas 
Tale," three terrapin plot together. The "Japanese Whale Tale," 
does not specify a definite number of friends as helpers; however, 
three beaches are mentioned in the story. 

• The race is won through deception by the "Sham-sick trickster" 
(MacDonald 262). The trickster feigns lameness and receives a 
handicap in the race. He then returns and gets the prize 
(MacDonald 262). In the "Navaho Tale," Brother Skunk gets a 
headstart, hides, and sneaks back to eat the food. 

• The race is won by deception with the slow creature hanging on 
to faster creature's tale. In the "Japanese Cat Tale," the Crab hangs 
on to the Cat's tail. 

• The race is won by the slower animal because the faster animal is 
overconfident and falls asleep. In the "Aesop Tale," Tortoise 
beats Hare because of this reason. 

The endings have several commonalties. In all eleven versions the 
smaller, smarter creature tricks the larger, faster animal. Six out of the eleven 
tales were teaching tales that contained some moralizing, and comments of 
wisdom were added at the end of the story ("Cherokee Tale," "Seminole 
Tale," "Aesop Tale," "Uncle Remus Tale," "African Reedbuck Tale," and 
"German Hedgehog Tale"). The other variants focused on the race itself 
("Navaho Tale," "Arkansas Tale," "American Hedgehog Tale," "Japanese 
Cat Tale," and "Japanese Whale Tale"). Some of the endings were especially 
noteworthy. 

8 

• In the "Navaho Tale," Coyote is outwitted by Skunk, and Skunk 
becomes the trickster. Previous stories in Coyote Stories of the 
Navaho People by Roessel and Platero help to explain relationship 
between Coyote and Skunk. 

• In both the "Seminole Tale" and the "African Reedbuck Tale," five 
turtles are able to beat their adversaries. The authors of these variants 
mention that together the turtles could not be beaten. 



 

"The Hare and the Tortoise Race" 

• In the "German Hedgehog Tale," the author notes that the "Hedge-
hog had the good sense to marry a wife like himself, not a weasel, 
or a whale" (Clarkson 167). 

The plot of this folktale has been broken down into three sections: the 
challenge, the race, and the ending. Each version has been analyzed 
according to the appropriate motif for these areas. Motifs came from Stith 
Thompson's Motif Index and Margaret Read MacDonald's The Storyteller's 
Sourcebook. There were no subdivisions indicated from Thompson's Tale-
Type Index. Please refer to the following charts for further analysis of the 
plots and related information on the eleven variants used in this paper: 
Tabular Analysis of the Variants on pages 12-19, and the Plot Description 
chart on pages 20-21. 

Conclusion 

"The Hare and the Tortoise Race" is a prime example of the oral tradition 
that has been passed down and shared by different cultures through time. Its 
exact origins are unknown, but there are numerous versions worldwide. In a 
relatively short period of time, I managed to find more than eleven tales from 
various cultural groups and countries: Native American groups (Cherokee, 
Seminole, Navaho), Greece, Southeastern United States, Africa, Germany, 
and Japan. It is not a complex tale with elaborate schemes and plots, but 
focuses on a simple theme: the little creature winning over the bigger, more 
powerful animal. The variants of the tale differ in choice of animals, type of 
deception, ending remarks, cultural influences, and the transcriber's telling. 
The selected variants of this tale have similarities previously discussed, but 
each also has a particular strength or special attribute that makes it stand out 
in some way (see Plot Description, below). 

• "Cherokee Tale." Connolly provides excellent background infor-
mation on the turtle's significance to the Native American culture. 
He states that this is an instructional tale intended to teach the 
lesson that boastfulness is "improper behavior" (Connolly). Turtle 
teaches Rabbit not to be too boastful. 

• "Seminole Tale." Whenever Wolf thinks that he has finished the 
race and is ready to nap under his favorite tree, he hears Little 
Turtle singing on the first ridge "your bones will be quivering and 
the flies will be buzzing and buzzing around you." Each time he 
hears this he 

9 



 

Johnson 

10 

gets up and runs the race again. He runs the race three times and 
collapses under his favorite tree, unable to move. The last song the 
rabbit sings is "I told you I was little and can't run fast, but I can 
outsmart you." All the turtles leave the wolf alone, "lying beneath 
the big tree, with the flies buzzing and buzzing around him" 
(Jumper). The repetitious phrases could be used for participatory 
storytelling. 

• "Navaho Tale." This is a good example of the Navaho Coyote 
Trickster tale. The ending is exceptionally good. Coyote begs for 
food and gets exactly what he planned on leaving Skunk—a few 
bones. 

• "Aesop Tale." This is the most familiar variant and the only 
version in which Tortoise (or slower creature) does not use 
deception to beat the Hare. The Hare simply is so overconfident 
that he takes a nap and oversleeps. It contains the well-known 
phrase "Slow and steady wins the race" (Reeves 73). 

• "Arkansas Tale." This is a good version with slight southern 
Arkansas dialect throughout the story. 

• "Uncle Remus Tale." In this version by Joel Chandler Harris, the 
reader is presented with a very heavy southern dialect. It is a little 
difficult to decipher. However, this is the only one where there are 
any human characters, Uncle Remus tells the story to the little boy. 
At the end the little boy says that "Tarrypin" cheated and Uncle 
Remus gives him a word of caution in response. 

• "American Hedgehog Tale." This is one of the shorter versions, but 
it is a good feminist version. While the other tales have male 
characters as the leads, this one has Old Lady Hedge racing and 
beating Rabbit. 

• "African Reedbuck Tale." The ending is especially good in this 
variant. It says "though they were easy to overcome singly, when 
they all worked together they were hard to beat" (Burton 98). 

• "German Hedgehog Tale. " The bet is a bottle of Brandy. The wife 
helps her husband win the race. This tale has a good ending: the 



 

"The Hare and the Tortoise Race" 

hedgehog "had the good sense to marry a wife like himself, and a 
not a weasel, or a wombat, or a whale" (Clarkson 167). 

• "Japanese Cat Tale." This is a short version that has the Crab hanging 
onto the tail of the cat. There are twenty-three recorded versions of 
this tale (Seki 25). This could be useful for a program on cats. 

• "Japanese Whale Tale." Seki provides information on international 
versions of this tale in the beginning and a little history. This 
version could be useful for the storyteller or librarian living in 
Florida or near coastal waters. 

Locating different variants of a folktale can enable the storyteller and 
librarian to customize their programs to a specific theme or audience. While 
some audiences might be better able to handle the easier version, such as the 
"Aesop Tale," an older group would enjoy a more complicated program 
containing the "Seminole Tale" or the "Navaho Tale." If one were doing the 
"Navaho Tale," other Coyote tales could be told during the program. 

Other audience considerations are sex of group, location, or setting. For 
instance, a performer doing a program for a Girl Scout group might use the 
"American Hedgehog Tale," the "German Hedgehog Tale," or the "Uncle 
Remus Tale." The storyteller who prefers to do participatory storytelling 
might tell the "Seminole Tale" because of its repetitious singing phrases. 
Another person might decide to do a program on Native American tales and 
choose the "Cherokee Tale," the "Seminole Tale," or the "Navaho Tale." The 
storyteller looking for versions relevant to Florida could select the "Seminole 
Tale," the "Japanese Cat Tale," or the "Japanese Whale Tale." And for the 
person wanting the most traditional version with no deception, there is the 
"Aesop Tale." 

This kind of analysis and collection of variants can be very useful for 
the folklorist and storyteller. It will help them enrich their knowledge of 
literature and provide more material for future programs. 

University of South Florida 

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Johnson 
 
 

TALE TYPE 275A: HARE AND TORTOISE RACE: THE SLEEPING HARE  
TALE TYPE 1074: RACE WON BY DECEPTION: RELATIVE HELPERS  

TALE TYPE 1074: RACE  
Motifs from Stith Thompson's Motif Index and Margaret Read MacDonald's The Storyteller's Sourcebook 

 (A Tabular Analysis of Eleven Major Variants) 
 Principal Motifs: Kll-22.2 Contests won by deception 

"HOW THE TURTLE 
BEAT THE RABBIT" 

 CHEROKEE 
(from Why The Possums Tale is Bare & 

Other North American Indian Nature Tales 
by James E. Connolly)  

"Cherokee Tale"  
1074: Race Won by Deception 

"THE LITTLE TURTLE AND 
THE WOLF"  
SEMINOLE  

(from Legends of the Seminoles by 
Betty Mae Jumper)  
"Seminole Tale"  

1074: Race won by Deception 

 "THE RACE" 
 NAVAHO 
(from Coyote Stories of the Navaho People 

 by Robert A. Roessel, Jr. & Dillon Platero) 
"Navaho Tale"  

       1074: Race Won by Deception 

The Challenge 

J2353.1 Turtle and Rabbit boast of their 
speed and decide to run a race 
to settle the argument. Turtle 
wants to teach Rabbit a lesson 
in humility. 

K11 [No boasting. Wolf pesters 
Little Turtle until he agrees to a 
race. Little Turtle wants to 
teach Wolf a lesson.] 

K11 [No boasting. Brother Coyote 
and Brother Skunk tricked and 
killed Big Jack Rabbit, the 
mice, and the prairie dogs. 
Brother Coyote wants the meat 
for himself so challenges 
Skunk to a race.] 



 

       The Race 
 
 
Z71.1 Turtle Plots with three friends for  Z71.2 Four Hills.  Little Turtle plots with 
  deception     four turtle friends for deception 
 
Z71.2 Four Ridges 
 
K11 Race.  Turtle Trickster gets  K11 Race.  Little Turtle is Given     K11.5    Race to the big rock and  headstart, posts a 

turtle friend on    headstart on first ridge.  He      back: won by deception. Brother 
 the first 3 ridges.  Turtle waits    posts a friend on each of the      Skunk gets a headstart, and the race 
 On the 4th     4 ridges       Skunk hides, waits till Coyote is past 

   him, returns to camp 
  
      Wolf is deceived and thinks Little 
      Turtle is outrunning him.  When he 
 Rabbit is deceived and thinks   arrives on the 4th ridge, he cannot 
 Turtle is outrunning him   find Little Turtle and goes back to  
      sleep under his tree. 
       
 
     Z71.1 Wolf races Little Turtle 3 times. 
 
K11 Turtle  beats Rabbit   K11 Little Turtle Beats Wolf.  Wolf       K11.5  Brother Skunk’s trick works. 
      collapses under his tree, unable 
      to move 
  
 
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
 

The Ending 
 
 

That is how Turtle taught Rabbit  Z71.3 Takes Five turtles to win race.  Brother Skunk gets the food and 
 not to be boastful.    Together they could not be beaten Brother Coyote some bones.



 

TALE TYPE 275A: HARE AND TORTOISE RACE: THE SLEEPING HARE  
TALE TYPE 1074: RACE WON BY DECEPTION: RELATIVE HELPERS  

TALE TYPE 1074: RACE  
Motifs from Stith Thompson's Motif Index and Margaret Read MacDonald's The Storyteller's Sourcebook (A Tabular 

Analysis of Eleven Major Variants) Principal Motifs: K11—22.2 Contests won by deception 

"THE HARE AND THE 
TORTOISE" 

 GREECE 
(from Fables from Aesop retold 

by James Reeves) 

"SLOW TRAIN TO ARKANSAS" 
 UNITED STATES 
 (from Terrapin's Pot of Sense 
 by Harold Coulander) 

"MR. RABBIT FINDS HIS 
MATCH AT LAST" 

AMERICAN NEGRO 1  
(from Uncle Remus by Joel 

Chandler Harris) 

"Aesop Tale" 
275: A Hare and Tortoise Race 

"Arkansas Tale" 
1074: Race 

"Uncle Remus Tale" 1074: 
Race Won by Deception 

The Challenge [Uncle Remus tells little boy 
about Brer Rabbit and Brer 
Tarrypin.] 

B120ff  Wise animals. Turtle's mother. K11 [No boasting. Terrapin and Hare 
are talking. Terrapin challenges 
Hare to a race.] KI1.3 [No boasting. Hare annoys 

Tortoise until he agrees to a race.] [No boasting. Tarrypin and Hare 
are talking. Tarrypin challenges 
Hare to a race.] 

K11 



 

K11.3 

K11.3 

Hare and Tortoise race: sleeping 
hare. In a race between the fast and 
the slow animal, the fast animal 
sleeps on the road and allows the 
slow animal to pass him. 

Tortoise beats Hare. 

The Race 

Z71.1 Three Terrapin plot against Hare. K11.1 Tarrypin plots with family for 
deception. Relative helpers are his 
wife and three children. 

K11 Race won by deception. K22.2.0.2   Tarrypin defeats Brer Rabbit. 
Tarrypin's family takes places in 
the line of the race. Brer Rabbit 
sees them and thinks Brer Tarrypin 
is outrunning him. 

K22.2.0.2 Tarrypin beats Brer Rabbit  
And wins the money. 

B120ff Slow and steady wins the race. 

K11.1.0.5 Terrapin defeats Hare. The Hare 
runs back and forth. Terrapin is 
posted at both ends and one in the 
middle. Hare runs 6 miles (3 one 
way). 

Kll Terrapin beats Hare. 

The Ending 

Hare admits defeat. J1370ff Uncle Remus comments on 
 cheating. 



 

TALE TYPE 275A: HARE AND TORTOISE RACE: THE SLEEPING HARE  
TALE TYPE 1074: RACE WON BY DECEPTION: RELATIVE HELPERS  

TALE TYPE 1074: RACE  
Motifs from Stith Thompson's Motif Index and Margaret Read MacDonald's The Storyteller's Sourcebook (A Tabular 

Analysis of Eleven Major Variants) Principal Motifs: KII-22.2 Contests won by deception 

"RABBIT & HEDGEHOG" 
AMERICAN NEGRO II 

(from American Negro Folktales 
collected by Richard M. Dorson) 

"THE TORTOISE AND THE 
REEDBUCK RUN A RACE" 

CENTRAL AFRICA 
(from The Magic Drum 

by W.F.P. Burton) 

"THE HARE AND THE 
HEDGEHOG" GERMANY 

Similar to version by Grimm and Grimm 
(from Told Again by Walter de la Mare) 

"American Hedgehog 
Tale" 1074: Race Won by 

Deception 

"African Reedbuck Tale" 
1074: Race won by 

Deception 

"German Hedgehog Tale" 
1074: Race Won by 

Deception 

The Challenge 
K11.1 J2353.1 Reedbuck boasts of his speed and 

Tortoise laughs at him. Reedbuck 
challenges Tortoise to a race. 

[No boasting. Hare ridicules 
Hedgehog because of his short 
legs. Hedgehog challenges Hare to 
a race.] 

K11.1 [No boasting. Rabbit makes fun of 
Hedge's babies. Old Lady Hedge is 
angry. To even up things Rabbit 
and Old Lady Hedge decide to 
race.] 



 

K11.1 

K11.1 

K11.1 

Old Lady Hedge plots with 
daughter for deception. 

Race won by deception: relative 
helpers. Old Lady Hedge and her 
daughter outwit Rabbit. The 
daughter is at one end and the 
mother at the other. 

Rabbit is deceived and runs race 
twice. 

Old Lady Hedge beats Rabbit. 

K11.1 

Z71.2 

The Race 

Tortoise plots with brothers for 
deception. 

Four turtle brothers 

K11.1.0.7 Tortoise defeats Reedbuck 
with the help of his brothers who 
are placed in the line of the 20 
mile race. 

K11.1 Tortoise beats Reedbuck. 

K11.1 Hedgehog plots with wife for 
deception. 

Kll.l.0.3 Hedgehog and wife defeat Hare. 
One is placed at each end of the 
furrow. Hare is deceived. 

Z71.1 Hare runs race 3 times before 
giving up. 

K11.1.0.3 Hedgehog beats Hare.  
Hedgehog wins bottle of brandy. 

Rabbit admits defeat. Z71.3 

The Ending 

Takes Five Turtles to win race. 
Together they could not be beaten. 

B120ff Wise animals. Hedgehog had the 
good sense to marry a wife like 
himself, not a weasel, or a whale. 



 

 TALE TYPE 275A: HARE AND TORTOISE RACE: THE SLEEPING HARE 
 TALE TYPE 1074: RACE WON BY DECEPTION: RELATIVE HELPERS 
 TALE TYPE 1074: RACE 

Motifs from Stith Thompson's Motif Index and Margaret Read MacDonald's The Storyteller's Sourcebook (A Tabular 
Analysis of Eleven Major Variants) Principal Motifs: KII-22.2 Contests won by deception 

"THE CAT AND THE CRAB" 
JAPAN I  

(from Folktales of Japan  
Edited by Keigo Seki, #10) 

"THE WHALE AND 
THE SEA SLUG" 

JAPAN II  
(from Folktales of Japan 
Edited by Keigo Seki, #9) 

"Japanese Cat Tale" 275: 
The Race of the Fox and 

the Crayfish 
"Japanese Whale Tale" 

1074: Race 

The Challenge 
K11.2 [No boasting. Cat and Crab decide 

to have a race.] 
J2353.1 Whale brags that "There is no 

greater animal than I." The Sea 
Slug laughs and the Whale 
challenges him to a race. 



 

K11.2 Crab hangs on to Cat's tail and 
wins. 

K11.2.0.1 - .2.0.7 Race won by 
deception: clinging to tail. Cat is 
deceived. 

K11.2 

K11.2 

Cat nears finish line, turns around 
to look for Crab. Crab lets go of 
Cat's tail and crosses finish line 
first. 

Crab beats Cat. 

K11 

Z71.1 

K11 

The Race 

K11 Sea Slug plots with friends for 
deception. 

Race won by deception. Sea Slug 
gets friends to help him beat Whale 
in a race. A Sea Slug is sent to 
every nearby beach. When Whale 
arrives Sea Slug is always there 
first. 

Whale and Sea Slug agree to swim 
to three different beaches. 

Sea Slug beats Whale. 

K11 

The Ending 

Whale admits defeat. 



 

Shortened Title 

PLOT DESCRIPTION 

Plot 

"Cherokee Tale" 

"Seminole Tale" 

"Navajo Tale" 

"Aesop Tale" 

"Arkansas Tale" 

"Uncle Remus Tale" 

Turtle and Rabbit boast of their speed and decide to race. Turtle wants to teach Rabbit a lesson in 
humility. He gets three turtle friends to take places in the line of the race on the first three separate ridges. 
Turtle is on the last ridge. Rabbit is deceived and loses the race. 

Little Turtle and Wolf decide to race. Little Turtle wants to teach Wolf a lesson. Turtle gets his four 
friends to take places in the line of the race on four separate hills. Wolf runs race three times, finally 
collapses, and Turtle wins. 

Coyote and Skunk are waiting for the mice and rabbit to cook. Coyote gets greedy and challenges Skunk 
to a race. Skunk gets a head start, hides, waits for Coyote to go past, and slips back to the fire. He takes 
the meat and goes up to the mesa. In the end Coyote only gets a few bones. 

In a race between the fast and the slow animal, the fast animal sleeps on the road and allows the slow 
animal to pass him. Rabbit sleeps and Tortoise wins the race. 

Terrapin defeats Hare. Three Terrapin plot against Hare. Terrapin gets others like him to take places in 
the line of the race (one at the beginning, one at the end and in the middle). The Hare sees them and 
thinks Terrapin is outrunning him. 

Uncle Remus tells story to little boy. Brer Tarrypin tricks Brer Rabbit. He wins race by deception, wife 
and three children take places in the line of the race. Brer Rabbit sees them and thinks Brer Tarrypin is 
outrunning him. Brer Tarrypin beats Brer Rabbit and wins the money. 



 

"American Hedgehog Tale"   Rabbit makes fun of the hedgehog babies. Old Lady Hedge is angry and to even up things Rabbit and Old 
Lady Hedge decide to race. Old Lady Hedge and her daughter outwit Rabbit, one is at the beginning and 
the other at the other end. Rabbit runs race twice before admitting defeat. 

"African Reedbuck Tale" 

"German Hedgehog Tale" 

"Japanese Cat Tale" 

"Japanese Whale Tale" 

Tortoise laughs at Reedbuck Tolue's boasting. Reedbuck challenges him to a race. Tortoise defeats 
Reedbuck by placing his four brothers in the line of the race. Reedbuck is deceived and Tortoise wins. 

Rabbit ridicules Hedgehog. Hedgehog challenges Rabbit to a race. Hedgehog places himself at beginning 
of furrow and wife at end. Hare is deceived and races three times before giving up. Hedgehog wins bottle 
of brandy. 

Cat and Crab decide to a race. Crab wins by hitching a ride on Cat' s tail. When Cat nears the finish line, 
Crab lets go of Cat' s tail and crosses the finish line first. 

Whale boasts and Sea Slug challenges Whale to a race. Sea Slug gets friends to go to every beach. When 
Whale arrives, they repeat the same expression. Whale thinks they are all the same Sea Slug, and after 
swimming to three beaches admits defeat. 



 

CHARACTER AND SPECIAL FEATURES ANALYSIS 

Title & Characters Special Noteworthy Features 

"Cherokee Tale" 
Turtle 
Rabbit 
3 Turtle friends 

"Seminole Tale" 
Little Turtle 
Wolf 
4 Turtle friends 

"Navaho Tale" 
Brother Skunk 
Brother Coyote 

"Aesop Tale" 
Tortoise 
Hare 

"Arkansas Tale" 
Terrapin 
Hare 
2 Turtle friends 

James E. Connolly has provided background information on turtles and their significance to the 
Native American culture. Ends with moral: And that is how the turtle taught Rabbit not to be too 
boastful. 

Little Turtle sings songs during the race. There is more vocal interaction in this version. Songs 
can be used as means to encourage audience participation. Wolf runs race three times. Last song 
is "I told you I was little and can't run fast, but I can outsmart you." Note together they could 
win. 

Brother Skunk has just helped Brother Coyote catch the meat, and cook it. He knows better 
than to trust Coyote. So he comes up with a plan of his own. More interaction between 
characters. 

Some comments by other animals. Mother's advice mentioned in the beginning and repeated at 
the end. "Slow and steady wins the race." 

More interaction at each part of the race between Hare and the substitutes. Hare runs back 
and forth before he gives up. 



 

"Uncle Remus Tale" 
Uncle Remus, Little Boy, 
Brer Tarrypin, Wife, & 3 
children 
Brer Rabbit 

"American Hedgehog Tale" 
Old Lady Hedge Rabbit 
Lady Hedge's daughter 

"African Reedbuck Tale" 
Tortoise, Reedbuck, 
Tortoise's 4 brothers 

"German Hedgehog Tale" 
Hedgehog, Hare, 
Hedgehog's wife 

"Japanese Cat Tale" 
Crab 
Cat 

"Japanese Whale Tale" 
Sea Slug 
Whale 
Sea Slug Friends 

Good indication of southern dialect. Uncle Remus tells Little Boy the story. Addresses the 
cheating issue in the ending. When I have told the Native American version, the children 
mention that turtle cheated. Uncle Remus warns the little boy to watch out for cheaters. 

Very short version. Old Lady Hedge decides to teach Rabbit a lesson. A feminist version. 
Rabbit runs race two times before admitting defeat. 

Race is from village to village with a separate brother stationed at each. Reedbuck is fooled. 
Good ending: working together Tortoise and his brothers are unbeatable. 

Hare makes fun of Hedgehog's short legs. Hedgehog bets a bottle of Brandy. The wife helps 
him win the race. Good ending-the hedgehog "had the good sense to marry a wife like 
himself, and not a weasel, or a wombat, or a whale!" 

Short tale. Indication of history: appears in Aesop, known in Europe, Africa, and in the 
Negro and Indian traditions of America. Supposedly 23 versions have been recorded in 
Japan. This could be useful for a program with a cat theme. 

Author gives information on international versions of this tale in the beginning. Appropriate for 
the storyteller living near coastal areas, like Florida. Whale swims to three beaches before 
admitting defeat. 



 

Johnson 

WORKS CITED 

Burton, W.F.P., "The Tortoise and the Reedbuck Run a Race. " The Magic Drum: 
 Tales from Central Africa. New York: Criterion, 1961. 
Clarkson, Atelia, and Gilbert B. Cross. World Folktales. New York: Scribner's, 
 1980. 
Connolly, James E. "How the Turtle Beat the Rabbit. " Why the Possums Tale is Bare 
 and Other North American Indian Nature Tales. Owings Mills, MD: Stemmer 
 House, 1985. 
Courlander, Harold. "Slow Train to Arkansas." Terrapin's Pot of Sense. New York: 
 Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1957. 
Courtney, Julia. "Rabbit and Hedgehog." American Negro Folktales. Collected by 
 Richard M. Dorson. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett, 1958. 
Harris, Joel Chandler. "Mr. Rabbit Finds His Match at Last." Uncle Remus. New 
 York: Schocken, 1965. 
Jumper, Betty Mae. "The Little Turtle and the Wolf. " Legends of the Seminoles. 
 Sarasota: Pineapple, 1994. 
Lankford, George E. Native American Legends: Southeastern Legends: Tales from 
 the Natchez, Caddo, Biloxi, Chickasaw, and Other Nations. Little Rock: August 
 House, 1987. 
MacDonald, Margaret Read. The Storyteller's Sourcebook: A Subject, Title, and 
 Motif Index to Folklore Collections for Children. Detroit: Neal-Schuman, 
 1982. 
Mare, Walter de la. "The Hare and the Hedgehog." Told Again. New York: Knopf, 
 1927. 
Reeves, James. "The Hare and the Tortoise. " Fables from Aesop. New York: P. 
 Bedrick,1961. 
Roessel, Robert, Jr., and Dillon Platero. "The Race." Coyote Stories of the Navaho 
 People. Rough Rock, AR: Navaho Curriculum Center, 1968. 
Seki, Keigo. "The Cat and the Crab." Folktales of Japan. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 
 1963. 
______. "The Whale and the Sea Slug." Folktales of Japan. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 
 1963. 
Thompson, Stith. Motif-Index of Folk-Literature. 6 Volumes. Bloomington: Indiana 
 UP, 1957. 
_______. The Types of the Folk-Tale. 2nd. rev. ed. Folk Lore Fellows Commu- 
 nications #184. 1961. 

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