Listen or read along. “The Tortoise and the Hare” is a free
classic fairy tale for ages 4–6, narrated aloud in about 3 minutes.
The full text is below, and the Sleepfox app reads it to your child with a
calm voice, a dimming screen and a gentle sleep timer.
Once upon a time, a little hare hopped through a sunny meadow.
He was very fast.
He loved to run and leap and zoom about.
One day, he met a small tortoise walking slowly along the path.
The hare laughed softly.
"You walk so slowly," he said.
"I could run to the big oak tree and back before you even reach the flowers."
The tortoise smiled a gentle smile.
"Perhaps," she said quietly.
"But would you like to race?"
The hare thought this was funny.
"All right," he said kindly.
"Let's race to the old oak tree."
Their friends gathered to watch.
A wise owl said softly, "Ready… set… go."
The hare zoomed away like the wind.
The tortoise began walking, slow and steady, one little step at a time.
The hare ran so fast he was almost there.
But then he thought, "I have so much time."
He found a soft, grassy spot under a shady tree.
"I'll rest for just a moment," he yawned.
He curled up in the warm grass…
And drifted off to sleep.
The tortoise kept walking.
Step by step.
Slow and steady.
She passed the sleeping hare quietly.
She walked all the way to the old oak tree.
When the hare woke up, he blinked.
He hopped quickly to the finish.
But the tortoise was already there, smiling gently.
"You won," said the hare softly.
The tortoise nodded.
"Slow and steady," she whispered.
They became the best of friends.
And that night, they both curled up under the stars…
Safe and warm and sleepy…
Dreaming of sunny meadows and soft grass…
Drifting off to sleep.
Listen to it free in the app
Sleepfox narrates every story aloud, dims the screen, and fades out with a
gentle sleep timer. A brand-new story is added free every night.
Black Beauty
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Velveteen Rabbit
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Pinocchio
The Ebony Horse