Aesop's Fable Re-telling

The Tortoise and the Hare: A Retelling

“Slow and steady wins the race.”

Kiernan strolled through the doors of the Magic Academy with his head held high. He hadn’t been back to the school since he had left in his youth. His ability with magic had been unsurpassed, and he had left to seek his fortunes, free from the confines of the academy walls. The past decades had been quite the adventure, and he was feeling nostalgic as he strolled up to the sturdy, iron doors that housed the Arch-Magister’s residence.

His thoughts strayed to the summons from the Arch-Magister in his pocket. Kiernan had heard through the grapevine that the old man was retiring, and he could only imagine that he was going to be offered the position as Arch-Magister, due to his innate ability with magic.

No one had been his match at the academy, it was one of the reasons he left. His closest rival had been a bookish sort of fellow, Jonas. A nice enough boy, but he had no sense of adventure! All day, Jonas would spend with his nose in some old scroll, or secluded in the library, while Kiernan had gone out and challenged everyone he could to improve his skills.

After leaving, Kiernan had earned a reputation for his knowledge and understanding of magic, his ability to adapt to uncertain situations, and his depth of skill. He had no regrets about leaving the school early, except that of having left something incomplete.

Knocking on the door, he remembered the old Arch-Magister fondly. The kindly wizard had begged Kiernan to stay and complete the school of instruction, but there was no convincing his younger self. Now that his spirit had been tempered with age, he looked forward to settling in and passing on the knowledge of his lifetime to a new generation of magicians.

The heavy doors swung open almost silently, and as Kiernan turned to greet his former headmaster, he was taken aback by the figure in front of him. The thin, pale man before him was none other than Jonas!

“Why, Jonas, is that you?”

“Kiernan! You received the summons! Do come in!”

“Yes! I had heard that the Arch-Magister was retiring, and when I received the summons, I wanted to make sure to see him once more.”

“Well, Kiernan, it is true, the Arch-Magister did retire. Before he left, he expressed his desire for me to contact you for a very important purpose.”

Kiernan could hardly contain his happiness. This was the moment he had been waiting for, the illustrious position of Arch-Magister of the Magic Academy! “Do tell me, what was his request?”

Jonas leaned forward. “The former Arch-Magister wanted me to bring you here so that you could finish your schooling! He felt that you would make an excellent instructor here at the Academy, but the rules state that only graduates of the Academy may go on to be instructors.”

Kiernan almost fell over. “What?! What do you mean, ‘finish my schooling’? I have travelled the world, seen the most amazing things, learned magical skills and arts that have been lost for generations, only to return and find out I can’t be an instructor, because I didn’t complete the Academy! I thought he was going to offer me the position of Arch-Magister, but instead, I find the school librarian telling me I am nothing more than a student! This is preposterous! Where is the old man? I’ll work this out with the Arch-Magister!”

Jonas stood up, leaned over Kiernan, and in an almost inaudible whisper, stated, “I told you, the old man retired. He is the former Arch-Magister. Mind your tone when speaking to me. While you were out gallivanting, I was here learning the deepest of magics, the oldest of the arcane. I was unravelling the mysteries of the universe laid out in the scrolls and tomes in the library, and I have mastered them all. I recognize your talent, but you did not put in the effort. Now is your opportunity. Return to the school, as a student, and complete your training. I have need of someone with your worldly experience. It’s a shame you didn’t graduate before you left. Who knows, you might have been Arch-Magister instead of me.”