Hopper zoomed down the sunny path. A whirl of dust and leaves followed him.
A red apple plopped onto a turtle's shell. Hopper skidded to a stop. "I'm the fastest rabbit!" he declared, paws on his hips. The turtle blinked. "Hello," it said.
Hopper dug his back feet. "Ready, set, go!" He rocketed ahead in a cloud of dust.
He skidded at the big oak tree. "Told you I'm the fastest!" His boast bounced off the apple trees.
Hopper struttet and puffed his chest until his tummy rumbled. A golden apple rolled to his nose.
The turtle crept over and nudged a red apple toward him. "We can share," the turtle said.
A gust shook the branches. Apples rained down like red and gold coins.
Hopper darted around grabbing armfuls, but they tumbled and rolled away. His ears drooped.
The turtle slowly pushed each apple into a neat pile. Hopper whispered, "I can't catch them all."
Hopper broke an apple in half and offered the bigger piece. The turtle took it with a slow nod.
They sat together under the apple trees, crunching and chewing with juice on their noses. Hopper smiled, relaxed.
The forest sounds settled into a happy quiet. Hopper thought: maybe being fast wasn't everything.
