One day, the hare and the tortoise were talking. actually, the hare was bragging and the tortoise was listening. "i run faster than the wind," boasted the hare. "i pity you because you are the slowest thing i've ever seen! " "oh really? " asked the tortoise with a smile. "let's race to the other side of the meadow." "ha! " laughed the hare. "you must be joking! you'll lose! well, if you insist, let's race." "i'm on my way," the tortoise said, and started walking slowly and steadily across the meadow. the hare stood there and laughed. "how sad! that slowpoke wants to compete with me! " he said. "i'll take a little nap while that poor old tortoise plods along. when i wake up, he'll still only be halfway there." some time later, the hare woke up. he saw that while he had been sleeping, the tortoise had won the race. what statement does the theme of this story make? a. never underestimate the importance of speed. b. a consistent effort will pay off in the long run. c. always size up your opponent before competing. d. never enter a race you can't win.