Story Details
This is the setting when the story takes place.
What is winter?
Bear acts this way when he first sees Turtle sunning himself on a rock.
What is grouchy / angry?
This word means "tired" and describes how Bear felt after the race.
What is exhausted?
This is what Turtle is doing when Bear first sees him and calls him slow.
What is sunning himself on a rock?
This is the main lesson Bear learns from the race.
What is don't judge others / don't call people names / pride comes before a fall?
This is what Bear was searching for in the forest at the beginning of the story.
What is food?
This is how Turtle responds when Bear calls him the world's slowest animal.
What is confident / clever / by challenging Bear to a race?
This word means "fell down" and is what Bear does at the finish line.
What is collapsed?
The race will begin when the sun reaches this height in the sky.
What is five fingers high?
Turtle teaches Bear this important quality by outsmarting him in the race.
What is humility / respect for others?
Turtle says he will do this to the frozen pond the night before the race.
Cut holes in the ice
After the race, Bear shows this trait by admitting he was wrong about Turtle's speed.
What is honesty / humility / apologetic?
The word "immediately" means this.
What is at once / right away?
Bear thinks this will happen to Turtle because of the holes in the ice.
What is that it will slow him down?
This is why Turtle wanted to race Bear in the first place.
What is to teach Bear a lesson about calling people names / being rude?
This is the number of forest neighbors who came to watch the race.
What is many?
This word best describes Turtle's behavior throughout the story.
What is wise / clever / intelligent?
This word describes Bear's mood when he hasn't eaten enough food during winter.
What is grouchy?
This happens every time Bear reaches a hole during the race.
What is Turtle pops up and asks "What took you so long?"?
The story shows that this is more powerful than physical strength.
What is intelligence / cleverness / wisdom?
This is what Turtle does after Bear falls asleep, and all his relatives pop their heads up through the holes.
What is watch all the animals leave / wait until Bear is gone?
Bear demonstrates this trait by being determined to win the race in front of all his forest neighbors.
What is pride / arrogance / competitive?
This word means "speedy" or "fast," and it's what Turtle claims to be when challenging Bear.
What is swift?
After the race, Bear does this for the entire winter.
What is sleep?
This is the most important message the story sends about how we should treat others.
What is don't call people names / be kind and respectful / don't judge by appearances?