The Boastful Hare – A Russian Tale About Modesty and Friendship

Summary

The Boastful Hare is a tale about the importance of modesty. It tells how the hare learned to respect others and realized that friendship is more valuable than boasting.

The Tale

Once upon a time, there lived a hare known throughout the forest as a great braggart. He loved to tell everyone how fast, clever, and admired he was. “There’s no one better than me in the entire forest!” the hare often declared, proudly flicking his long ears.

One day, the hare decided to show off to his neighbors. He ran through the forest and found the fox. “Look, fox, how quick and nimble I am! Even your cunning can’t match my speed!” he said, hopping around her.

The fox just smirked and replied, “All right, hare, let’s see if your speed helps you when real trouble comes.”

The next day, the hare decided to boast to the wolf. He approached the wolf with his head held high: “Wolf, you’re strong, but I’m so fast no one can catch me—not even you!”

The wolf grinned and said, “Hare, one day your speed won’t save you. Then we’ll see how you manage.” But the hare just laughed and hopped away.

When the hare reached the bear, he began boasting again: “Bear, you may be big, but I’m the most agile! Look how I jump over rocks and race around trees!” The bear shrugged and said, “Boasting isn’t the best quality, hare. One day, you’ll understand.”

Then one day, trouble arrived in the forest: hunters with dogs started chasing the hare. The hare ran as fast as he could but soon realized he couldn’t escape on his own. He remembered what the fox, the wolf, and the bear had said and decided to ask for their help.

The fox came up with a plan to confuse the hunters’ trail. The wolf scared the dogs away with his growl, and the bear blocked the hunters’ path. Thanks to the teamwork of the animals, the hare was saved.

The hare realized that boasting was pointless, and true friends are there to help in difficult times. From then on, he became modest and valued friendship.

Moral

This tale teaches us that boasting can drive friends away, while true strength lies in modesty and appreciating those around you.

Questions About the Tale

• Why did the hare love to boast to other animals?
• How did the fox, wolf, and bear help the hare in trouble?
• What did the hare learn after being saved?
• What lesson does this story teach us?