Things That Reach Far Away

One day, a little turtle and a fox met.
The fox ran swiftly, leaping all the way to beneath the first star.
But the turtles walked slowly, having only just set off.

The fox said,
"If you're that slow, you'll never reach anywhere."
"If you're that slow, I'm already in the future."

But the turtle said nothing,
step by step, step by step,
leaving small footprints in the soil.

One day, the wind blew and a storm came,
and the fox's footprints, and the stars, all vanished somewhere.

But the turtles were still walking.
It was as if,like a tree quietly putting down roots.

Before long, grass grew in the turtle's wake,
flowers bloomed, a path was formed,
and children began to walk upon it.

And then, someone whispered this.

"The mischievous may be fast. The quiet may be slow.
But speed doesn't reach far away, does it?"

At that moment, the turtle stopped for the first time,
smiled a little, and took another step forward.

Things that arrive quickly
can also vanish in an instant.
Even if it's slow,
if it's a path where flowers bloom—
someday, you will surely meet someone.