Rabbit was very fast. He wasn't
smart, but fast. He kept winning races, and everybody expected him to win
always, and go places. The pressure was enormous. Then he met the tortoise, and
the clash of egos ended up in a race. Rabbit ran fast, as usual, knew he had to
win, but the pressure and stress finally got to him. He fainted, then slept.
When he woke up the world had changed. Those who admired him a few hours back
now ridiculed him, they laughed at him. They even made proverbs about how slow
and steady wins. Rabbit was crestfallen at first, then it hit him. He had his
chance of escape. He knew if he challenged tortoise once more, he could easily
win, and everything would be the same as before. But then he would be stressed
again. He didn't want that. He wanted time for doing things he loved, not just
winning races. He wanted to explore that Carrot country they said existed, he
wanted to meet that long lost cousin of his who fled his forest, he wanted to
learn to sing like the magpies, he wanted to write poetry, read books, listen
to music, daydream, paint...
So he got up, walked like a beaten
spirit, a failed champion, a miserable idiot. The world laughed, it was fine
with him. He slowly made his way out of the racing track, moved out of sight,
then he laughed out loud, and sprinted..sprinted with joy, for the first time,
without the pressure of winning, just for the sheer pleasure of running like
mad...
