Rabbit laughs at Tortoise because he crawls very slowly. Tortoise says he would win a race between them. So they start a race. Tortoise keeps on crawling while Rabbit, who is a long way ahead halfway through the race, stops for a rest and falls asleep. When Rabbit wakes up, Tortoise has reached the finish. The story shows that modesty helps one go forward, whereas conceit makes one lag behind. Only by persisting with your cause and not giving up midway can you succeed.