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一个初冬，天寒地冻，所有的池塘都结冰了。那时，熊还不知道在白雪皑皑的冬季最明智的做法就是睡大觉。他穿过树林时不停地抱怨，嘟嘟囔囔。也许他想起了另一种动物对他搞的恶作剧，也许他只是心情不好。他碰巧来到了一个大池塘边，看到海龟在那儿，头露在冰面上。 "嗨，”熊大喊道，连问候都没问候老朋友一下，‘‘你在看什么啊，慢吞吞的家伙？” 海龟看了看熊：“你为什么说我慢？" 熊哼了一声："你是世界上最慢的动物。如果我和你赛跑，我会把你远远地落在后面。”也许熊从来没有听说过海龟和海狸那场盛大的比赛，也许熊也忘记了海龟和狼一样，是脑筋转得最快的动物。 “我的朋友，"海龟说，"咱俩来一场比赛吧，看看谁跑得最快。" “好啊，”熊说，“在哪儿比呢？” “比赛地点就是这个池塘，时间是明天早晨，太阳升到地平线以土一巴掌高的时候。你沿着池塘边跑，我在水中游。 “那怎么可能呢"熊说，“池塘里到处都是冰。” “我们这样做，”海龟说，‘‘我在沿池塘边的冰面上打上许多洞，每游到一个洞就会伸出头来示意一下。” "我同意，'’熊说，"明天咱们就比赛。” 第二天，许多动物都聚集来观看比赛。他们在大池塘边上排开，看着熊在雪地上打滚，并上上下下地做准备运动。 最后，正当太阳升起一个巴掌的高度时，海龟突然从起跑线处的冰洞里伸出了头。 “熊！”他喊道，“我准备好了。" 熊快步走到起跑线处，信号枪一发，他就冲了出去。脚下白雪飞扬，嘴里呼出的气在头顶上像白云一样。海龟的头消失在第一个洞口，然后几乎是在一瞬间就重新出现在下一个洞口，远远地在熊前面。 “熊，我在这里！”海龟喊道，‘‘快来追我啊！”接着又不见了。熊大吃一惊，跑得更快了。但还没等他到达下一个洞口，就看到海龟绿色的头又弹了出来。 ‘‘熊，我在这里，"海龟又喊道，“追上我啊！”这时熊开始全力以赴了。他胸脯一起一伏，大口喘着气跑着，眼睛都充血了，但根本没用。每次在他离下一个洞口还很远时，海龟那丑陋的绿头就会在他前面伸出来冲他大叫让他赶上来。 当熊终于到达终点线时，他几乎都爬不动了。海龟已在那儿等他了，所有的动物都围着他。熊输了比赛，颜面尽失地拖着疲惫的身躯回了家。他太累了，一到家就沉沉地睡去，一直睡到春天温暖的气息又降临到小树林里。 原来熊和所有其他动物刚一离开池塘，海龟就用一个长长的爪子敲击着冰面。听到他的信号，十二个像他一样丑陋的头都从池塘边上的洞中钻了出来。那是海龟的堂兄弟们和他自己的兄弟们，都长得和他一模一样。 “亲戚们，"海龟说,“我要感谢你们，我们已经向熊证明了给别人起外号是不行的。我们狠狠地教训了他。” 海龟说罢笑了，其他十二个像他一模一样的海龟也都笑了起来。“我们已经向所有动物证明了，”海龟说，"海龟并不是最慢的动物。” It was an early winter, cold enough so that the ice had frozen on all the ponds and Bear， who had not yet learned in those days that it was wiser to sleep through the White Season, grumbled as he walked through the woods. Perhaps he was remembering a trick another animal had played on him, perhaps he was just not in a good mood. It happened that he came to the edge of a great pond and saw Turtle there with his head sticking out of the ice. “Hah,” shouted Bear, not even giving his old friend a greeting. “What are you looking at, Slow One?” Turtle looked at Bear. “Why do you call me slow?” Bear snorted. “You are the slowest of the animals. If I were to race you, I would leave you far behind.” Perhaps Bear never heard of Turtle’s big race with Beaver and perhaps Bear did not remember that Turtle, like Coyote, is an animal whose greatest speed is in his wits. “My friend,” Turtle said, “let us have a race to see who is the swiftest•” “All right,” said Bear. “Where will we race?” “We will race here at this pond and the race will be tomorrow morning when the sun is the width of one hand above the horizon. You will run along the banks of the pond and I will swim in the water.” “How can that be?” Bear said. “There is ice all over the pond.” “We will do it this way,” said Turtle. “I will make holes in the ice along the side of the pond and swim under the water to each hole and stick my head out when I reach it.” “I agree，” said Bear. “Tomorrow we will race.” When the next day came, many of the other animals had gathered to watch. They lined the banks of the great pond and watched Bear as he rolled in the snow and jumped up and down making himself ready. Finally, just as the sun was a hand’s width in the sky, Turtle’s head popped out of the hole in the ice at the starting line. “Bear，” he called, “I am ready.” Bear walked quickly to the starting place and as soon as the signal was given, he rushed forward, snow flying from his feet and his breath making great white clouds above his head. Turtle’s head disappeared in the first hole and then in almost no time at all reappeared from the next hole, far ahead of Bear. “Here I am Bear，” Turtle called. “Catch up to me!” And then he was gone again. Bear was astonished and ran even faster. But before he could reach the next hole, he saw Turtle’s green head pop out of it. “Here I am, Bear,” Turtle called again. “Catch up to me!” Now Bear began to run in earnest. His sides were puffing in and out as he ran and his eyes were becoming bloodshot ，but it was no use. Each time, long before he would reach each of the holes, the ugly green head of Turtle would be there ahead of him calling out to him to catch up! When Bear finally reached the finish line, he was barely able to crawl. Turtle was waiting there for him, surrounded by all the other animals. Bear had lost the race. He dragged himself home in disgrace, so tired that he fell asleep as soon as he reached his home. He was so tired that he slept until the warm breath of the Spring came to the woods again. It was not long after Bear and all the other animals had left the pond that Turtle tapped on the ice with one long claw. At his sign it a dozen ugly heads like his popped up from the holes all along the edge of the pond. It was Turtle’s cousins and brothers, all of whom looked just like him! “My relatives，，，Turtle said, “I wish to thank you. Today we have shown Bear that it does not pay to call other people names. We have taught him a good lesson•” Turtle smiled and a dozen other turtles, all just like him, smiled back. “And we have shown the other animals,” Turtle said, “that Turtles are not the slowest of the animals.” |
