Spotty the Turtle Wins a Race

From Old Mother West Wind, by Thornton W. Burgess

This story is from Old Mother West Wind, a 1910 collection by American author Thornton W. Burgess. Burgess wrote hundreds of animal tales that taught children about nature and character. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. The tale is remembered for showing that cleverness and patience can win over speed and boasting—a lesson that has delighted young listeners for more than a century.

Band

Purple · Pre-readers and first readers, about 4 to 5

Length

short · about 397 words in 5 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Old Mother West Wind, Thornton W. Burgess · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.