The Snail and the Horse

Once upon a time, there was a black Stallion named Thunder. He was big, strong, and very proud. He loved to gallop through the meadows, his mane flying in the wind. “Look at me!” he would neigh. “I am the fastest creature on four legs!”

One day, he almost stepped on a tiny Snail crossing the path. “Whoa!” said Thunder, stopping just in time. “Watch where you are going, tiny thing! You are so slow, you are practically a statue.” The little Snail looked up. He had a small, spiral shell and two wiggly antennas. “I may be slow,” said the Snail calmly, “but I always get where I am going. In fact, I bet I could beat you in a race.” Thunder snorted. “You? Race me? Hahaha! That is hilarious. I could run to the end of the forest and back before you finish saying ‘Hello’.” “Let’s try,” said the Snail. “Tomorrow morning. To the river and back.” “Fine,” said the Horse. “Prepare to lose.”

That night, the Snail went to his family reunion. He had hundreds of brothers, sisters, vivid cousins, and uncles. They all looked exactly like him. “Listen,” he told them. “I have a plan to teach that arrogant horse a lesson. I need you all to help me.” He whispered the plan. The snails giggled (very quietly). They went out and hid in the grass every ten yards along the path, all the way to the river.

The next morning, the Horse arrived, stretching his long legs. “Ready to eat my dust, Snail?” “Ready,” said the Snail (who was actually the first cousin). “GO!” yelled a crow. The Horse took off. Thump-thump-thump! He ran fast. After a minute, he looked down. “Hah! I left him behind.” Just then, he heard a tiny voice from the grass ahead. “Catch me if you can!” The Horse was shocked. There was the Snail (actually the second cousin) slithering ahead of him! “How did you do that?” yelled the Horse. He ran faster. He ran until his lungs burned. He looked down again. “Hello there!” piped a voice from ahead. Another snail was waving its antennas. “Impossible!” cried the Horse. “I am running like the wind!” He galloped harder. Sweat poured down his neck. But every time he looked down, there was a snail just a few inches ahead of him, smiling. (Of course, it was a different snail every time, but they all looked the same to the Horse).

Finally, the Horse reached the finish line, totally exhausted. His legs were shaking. He was panting like a steam engine. And there, sitting calmly on the finish post, was the original Snail. He looked fresh and rested. “What took you so long?” asked the Snail. “I’ve been waiting for ages.”

The poor Horse collapsed on the grass. “I… I give up,” he wheezed. “You are… puff… magic. You are… puff… the fastest snail in the world.” From that day on, the Horse treated everyone with respect, no matter how small they were. And the Snail and his family had a great story to tell for generations.

Moral of the Story: Don’t be arrogant. Brains can defeat brawn. (And it helps to have a large family!)