The Hare
antagonist · hare
The fastest thing in the field, and keen that everybody knows it.
What they are like
- Kind
- 5/10
- Brave
- 6/10
- Clever
- 4/10
- Honest
- 7/10
- Curious
- 5/10
- Patient
- 1/10
How we meet them
Already talking. He is introduced by what he mentions a great deal rather than by anything he actually does.
Personality
Not cruel, just loud. He wants an argument more than he wants a race, and he is genuinely thrown when the tortoise refuses to give him one.
What they want
To be admired for the one thing he is very good at.
How they change
Learns the difference between having an advantage and using it, in front of everyone.
How they speak
Quickly and continuously, leaving no gaps for anybody else. He is thrown completely the moment somebody agrees with him.
How the story treats them
The whole field turns out to watch, mostly hoping the tortoise will change his mind. Nobody expects anything of the hare except winning, which is its own kind of trap.
One surprising thing
He never loses his speed at any point. He is still the fastest animal in the field at the exact moment he loses the race, which is the entire point of the story.
If they were real today
He would finish the exam in the first twenty minutes and spend the rest of it looking around the room.
Things they say
- “I could have gone twice.”
Key moments
I could have gone twice
He boasts to a tortoise crossing the path in front of him, and is genuinely annoyed to be agreed with instead of argued with.
“I could have gone twice.”
Plenty of time
Halfway up the slope he looks back, sees a dot near the bottom, and works out that an hour's sleep will still leave him winning by a distance.
“Plenty of time. Plenty.”
Still running at the line
He wakes to cheering, runs better than he has ever run in his life, and is still running when the tortoise crosses.
Nobody said anything unkind
He stands at the olive tree getting his breath back, and the field is quiet. The result had already said it for them.
Who they know
The Tortoiserival
One of them wants an argument. The other one keeps agreeing with him.
Characters like The Hare
Personalised stories are coming soon
A brand new story with your child as the main character, illustrated on every page. We are not taking orders yet. Join the waitlist and we will email you when it opens.