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1. The Hare and the Tortoise The Hare boasts to the other animals about how fast he can run. When none of them responds to his challenge for a race he taunts them that they are too scared to even try. When the Tortoise then offers to challenge him the Hare scoffs that he won’t waste his time racing the slowest creature in the world. The Tortoise suggests Hare must be scared of being beaten and thus Hare agrees to a race, to take place a week later. The Tortoise spends the week in training, but continues to move very slowly, and the other animals wonder if the race is a good idea. Nevertheless, there is a large crowd of animals on the day of the race. As the race starts, the Hare roars off. When he stops to look back the Tortoise has barely crossed the starting line. The Hare taunts Tortoise that he will be able to stop for a rest and still beat him. However, when the Hare goes to sleep in the sun the Tortoise is able to overtake him. The Hare wakes just as Tortoise is nearing the finishing line...but he is too late. Slow and steady wins the prize. 2. The Frogs and the Ox A young Frog sees the Ox by the pond. Excited, he calls for his mother to come and see the ‘monster’. The mother Frog, who is very fat, does not believe that any creature in the pond can be bigger than she is, but agrees to come and see it. She is unable to move very far without breathing heavily, due to her size. This extra air makes her blow up like a beach ball. Still not wanting to admit that any creature in the pond could be bigger than her, she asks the young Frog whether the monster is as big as this. When she hears that it is still bigger, she sucks in more and more air, until she flies off, just like a balloon. 3. The Fox and the Crow The Crow is sitting in a tree with a piece of cheese in its beak. The passing Fox would like to eat the cheese and tries to persuade - and then trick - Crow to bring the cheese down or drop it. The Crow does not fall for this, so the Fox tries flattery instead. He tells the crow how lovely his feathers are and how fine-looking his head. Then, Fox says how much he would like to hear Crow sing. Tricked by the flattery, Crow opens his beak to sing, dropping the cheese to the ground, where Fox gobbles it up. 4. The Monkey as King There is a great competition among the animals to be named 'King of the Beasts'. Each animal gets a chance to explain why they should be King. Fox says that he should be King because he is clever enough to know how to avoid traps laid by Man, but his speech is boring. Monkey is chosen, because he dances around and makes funny faces. Fox does not like it that the silly Monkey has been chosen as King ahead of him, so plays a trick. He takes Monkey into the forest, saying that he wants to show him a present fit for a king. Fox shows Monkey a beautiful, ripe banana on the forest floor, and when Monkey runs to pick it up, he falls into a trap. Fox can help Monkey escape from the trap, but will only do so if the Monkey agrees not to be King. The other animals agree that the King of Beasts should be clever enough not to fall into traps.