The Tortoise and the Hare
Aesop's Fables
There once was a tortoise who challenged a hare to a race...
The hare believed that he would win the race because he was far faster than the tortoise. As soon as the race began the hare took off as fast as he could, and the tortoise began and his usual pace; slow. The hare realized that he was so far ahead of the tortoise that he had plenty of time to stop and rest. While the hare rested he quickly fell asleep, and the tortoise continued on, slow and steady. Eventually, the hare awoke to his dismay, his overconfidence, and his nap, had lost him the race; The tortoise had crossed the finish line.
From the perspective of the hare this story provides a strong message about never underestimating others, and never overestimating yourself. It is great to have confidence and be proud of both your abilities and achievements, but it is also important to recognize that other people have wonderful abilities as well. Just because you think yourself superior in various facets of your life, it does not mean that you will supersede everyone else. People can always surprise you.
From the perspective of the tortoise however, this story provides a great life lesson that it is important to believe in yourself and to persevere, even when the odds are against you. By nature tortoises are not exceptionally fast creatures, and had the tortoise let this information discourage him he never would have been able to beat the hare and prove himself both worthy and capable.