Which author told a fable about a race between a tortoise and a hare?

Aesop (c. 620-564 BCE) was a Greek storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known a ‘Aesop’s Fables’. Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages, in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day.

A fictional version of Aesop’s life includes the description of him as a strikingly ugly slave who by his cleverness acquires freedom and becomes an advisor to kings and city-states. The earliest Greek sources, including Aristotle (384-322 BCE), indicate that Aesop was born in Thrace at a site on the Black Sea coast which would later become the city Mesembria. Other sources place him elsewhere at the time of his birth.

Many of the tales are characterized by animals and inanimate objects that speak, solve problems, and generally have human characteristics. One of the fables is titled ‘The Tortoise and the Hare‘, numbered 226 in the Perry Index of ‘Aesop’s Fables’. It is an account of a race between unequal partners with interpretations varied including themes of ingenuity and trickery.

The story concerns a hare who ridicules a slow-moving tortoise. Tired of the hare’s arrogant behavior, the tortoise challenges him to a race. The hare soon leave the tortoise behind and confident of winning, takes a nap midway through the race. When the hare awakens however, he finds the tortoise crawling slowly but steadily, has arrived before him.