Sign Up  /  Login

Slow and Steady Wins the Race LbNA #8897 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jun 26, 2004
Location:
City:Olathe
County:Johnson
State:Kansas
Boxes:1
Planted by:WyldBlueberries
Found by: spanky_kc
Last found:Oct 14, 2004
Status:F
Last edited:Jun 26, 2004
6/14 update: This box is definitely missing.

Difficulty: fairly easy. 3 / 4 mile walk round trip.
Compass required: no

This box is hidden at Ernie Miller Nature Center, 909 North Highway 7 in Olathe, KS. Be sure to check out the “Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow” box while you’re here.

Directions to Ernie Miller Nature Center:
From the intersection of I-435 and I-35 in Kansas, go West, and get on K-10. Go south on K-7 several miles and turn right into the park at 909 N Highway 7. Park in the main parking lot by the Nature Center.


From Olathe:
Go west on 135th Street (Santa Fe) until you reach K-7. Turn right and go north on K-7. After about half a mile, turn left into the park at 909 N Highway 7. Park in the main parking lot by the Nature Center.

Clues:

The Tortoise was once among all the animals, when the prideful Hare began boasting. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me."

Quietly but firmly, Tortoise replied "I accept your challenge."

"That is a good joke," said the Hare; "I could dance round you
all the way."

The tortoise did not respond, but stepped down the sidewalk past the bird pens. The Hare impatiently hopped beside with an arrogant grin on his face.

The tortoise stopped short of the bridge and turned his shell resolutely to the right, facing down a paved trail.

"Keep your boasting till you've beaten," answered the Tortoise. "Shall we race?"

Immediately the Hare bolted out of sight down the trail and turned left at the Y. The tortoise followed at a quick pace for a turtle, though it seemed a comical sight to the swifter animals, and a few had to stifle a laugh.

When the Tortoise turned left to follow the Hare, he saw his opponent resting on a bench beside the pond. The tortoise’s expression never changed as he continued on his way. He stayed on the blacktop the whole way, and before long was crossing a bridge over a creek.

Once across the bridge, the Tortoise struggled up the rocky path, just barely clearing the wooden boards which lay in his way. Once at the top, he did not even hesitate to catch his breath. He turned left and kept up his steady pace around the bend to the right.

As he looked ahead, for the first time the Tortoise entertained a doubt. Because the path he saw was an obstacle course of wooden barriers more than double his height. But still he climbed and struggled and by the time he reached the top, he knew the hard part was over. A crowd of animals cheered for him, and he hoped his lead was enough to prevent a late surge by the Hare who would certainly be wakened by the cheer.

He continued 7 human steps beyond the last wooden obstacle, and then turned left down a narrow and little-traveled path into a small clearing. He did not stop to rest at the concrete picnic table or lean up against any of the evergreen trees he saw.

He did not stop until he rested on the far side of a twin-trunked deciduous tree where he hid his box under several rocks.

A winded but pleased Tortoise finally allowed “Slow and steady wins the race.”