far,faraway."

"yes,thatisyourmisfortune,"saidthefence-rail;"youaresofickle,sounsettled;youmustalwaysbetravellingaboutintoforeignlandswhenthecoldcommenceshere.youhavenoloveoffatherlandinyou.therecanbenoconsiderationforyou."

"butnow,ifihavebeenlyingthewholewinterinthemoor,"saidtheswallow,"andsupposeisleptthewholetime,wouldthatbetakenintoaccount?"

"bringacertificatefromtheoldmoor-hen,"saidhe,"thatyouhavesleptawayhalfyourtimeinfatherland;thenyouwillbetreatedwithsomeconsideration."

"ideservedthefirstprize,andnotthesecond,"saidthesnail."iknowsomuch,atleast,thatthehareonlyranfromcowardice,andbecausehethoughttherewasdangerindelay.i,ontheotherhand,maderunningthebusinessofmylife,andhavebecomeacrippleintheservice.ifanyonehadafirstprize,itoughttohavebeenmyself.butidonotunderstandchatteringandboasting;onthecontrary,idespiseit."andthesnailspatatthemwithcontempt.

"iamabletoaffirmwithwordofoath,thateachprize-atleast,thoseforwhichivoted-wasgivenwithjustandproperconsideration,"saidtheoldboundarypostinthewood,whowasamemberofthecommitteeofjudges."ialwaysactwithdueorder,consideration,andcalculation.seventimeshaveialreadyhadthehonortobepresentatthedistributionoftheprizes,andtovote;butto-dayisthefirsttimeihavebeenabletocarryoutmyalwaysreckonthefirstprizebygoingthroughthealphabetfromthebeginning,andthesecondbygoingthroughfromtheend.besokindastogivemeyourattention,andiwillexplaintoyouhowireckonfromthebeginning.theeighthletterfromaish,andtherewehavehforhare;thereforeiawardedtotheharethefirstprize.theeighthletterfromtheendofthealphabetiss,andthereforethesnailreceivedthesecondprize.nextyear,theletteriwillhaveitsturnforthefirstprize,andtheletterrforthesecond."

"ishouldreallyhavevotedformyself,"saidthemule,"ifihadnotbeenoneofthejudgesonthecommittee.notonlytherapiditywithwhichadvanceismade,buteveryotherqualityshouldhavedueconsideration;as,forinstance,howmuchweightacandidateisabletodraw;butihavenotbroughtthisqualityforwardnow,northesagacityofthehareinhisflight,northecunningwithwhichhesuddenlyspringsasideanddoubles,toleadpeopleonafalsetrack,thinkinghehasconcealedhimself.no;thereissomethingelseonwhichmorestressshouldbelaid,andwhichoughtnotbeleftunnoticed.imeanthatwhichmankindcallthebeautiful.itisonthebeautifulthatiparticularlyfixmyeyes.iobservedthewell-grownearsofthehare;itisapleasuretometoobservehowlongtheyare.itseemedasifisawmyselfagaininthedaysofmychildhood;andsoivotedforthehare."

"buz,"saidthefly;"there,i'mnotgoingtomakealongspeech;butiwishtosaysomethingabouthares.ihavereallyovertakenmorethanonehare,whenihavebeenseatedontheengineinfrontofarailwaytrain.ioftendoso.onecanthensoeasilyjudgeofone'sownswiftness.notlongago,icrushedthehindlegsofayounghare.hehadbeenrunningalongtimebeforetheengine;hehadnoideathatiwastravellingthere.atlasthehadtostopinhiscareer,andtheengineranoverhishindlegs,andcrushedthem;forisetuponit.ilefthimlyingthere,androdeonfarther.icallthatconqueringhim;butidonotwanttheprize."

"itreallyseemstome,"thoughtthewildrose,thoughshedidnotexpressheropinionaloud-itisnotinhernaturetodoso,-thoughitwouldhavebeenquiteaswellifshehad;"itcertainlyseemstomethatthesunbeamoughttohavehadthehonorofreceivingthefirstprize.thesunbeamfliesinafewminutesalongtheimmeasurablepathfromthesuntous.itarrivesinsuchstrength,thatallnatureawakestolovelinessandbeauty;werosesblushandexhalefragranceinitspresence.ourworshipfuljudgesdon'tappeartohavenoticedthisatall.wereithesunbeam,iwouldgiveeachoneofthemasunstroke;butthatwouldonlymakethemmad,andtheyaremadenoughalready.ionlyhope,"continuedtherose,"thatpeacemayreigninthewood.itisglorioustobloom,tobefragrant,andtolive;toliveinstoryandinsong.thesunbeamwilloutliveusall."

"whatisthefirstprize?"