A snail once to a tortoise said:
'What is your speed per hour?'
The tortoise answered: 'Oh,not much,
I'm but one tortoise-power.'

'But didn't you,' the snail remarked,
'Once beat the nimble hare?'
'Not I,'this modest tortoise said,
'Great grandpa was there.'
'You see, the hare went off to  sleep
Great grandpa was gone;
And while the hare slept,our old man
Just kept on going on.'

'I see,'the snail at length replied,
'I always thought it queer.
D'you think if I tried such a race,
I need have any fear?'

The tortoise smiled and shook his head;
'The times have vastly changed,
(Great grandpa had a lot of luck),
Thing are now not so arranged,
That crowds of sporting folks would come,

And keep the hare awake;
So what a toil it would be for you,
What strides you'd have to take!
Besides why should we nowadays
Be proud to beat a hare?
We're most distinguished as we are---
Slow motion's now so rare.'