Stories have been wielded as tools for teaching throughout most of human history. Whether it be the exploits of gods used to explain natural phenomena or the adventures of mischievous cats and daring princesses showing children right from wrong, tales of teaching have existed since stories were first told. Even now, centuries after the birth of myth and fairytale, stories are used every day even more versatile ways. We have documentaries airing on almost any subject you can imagine, and switching to the children’s channel will reward you with cartoon pigs teaching children how to recycle, or puppies showing the power of teamwork. Amongst this history of storytelling, perhaps the most timeless tales of all are the fables of Aesop. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, then look no further than his most iconic story, The Tortoise and The Hare. It is through the lens of this timeless story that we can explore the value of storytelling as an eLearning tool.

There is no need to worry if you are unfamiliar with The Tortoise and The Hare, it is a fairly simple story with a straightforward message. Simply put, a tortoise and a hare agree to a race, despite the fact that the hare has a clear natural advantage when it comes to speed. Given this advantage, the hare does not take the race seriously, does not prepare well and sprints off the starting line. The tortoise, despite his disadvantages, takes the race very seriously, adequately prepares and sets of from the starting line at a steady pace. Eventually, the hare runs out of energy and takes a rest, having spent it all in his initial sprint. While the hare rests, the tortoise continues to make steady ground, eventually overtaking the hare and crossing the finish line while his opponent sleeps. A person is free to take many lessons from this tale, but the key message at its core is a simple “slow and steady wins the race.”