ウサギと亀 [usagitokame]

There is a complete text + English translation + audio:  http://thejapanesepage.com/ebooks/usagi-to-kame

ウサギと亀の歌。[Song about the rabbit and turtle.]

There are similar versions of the story: 

ウサギと亀

昔昔あるところにうさぎと亀がいました。うさぎは、亀に言いました。「亀さん、あなたは世界で一番のろいね。どうしてそんなにのろいんだい？」

亀は、うさぎに答えました。

「なんてことをいうのですか？それなら、私と競争をしましょう。向こうの小山の麓まで、どちらが先につくか、勝負しましょう。」「よーし、やりましょう。」うさぎと亀は、競争を始めました。

うさぎは、亀を追い抜いて、どんどん走っていきました。

走りながら、うさぎは心の中でこう思いました。「どんなに亀がいそいでも、どうせ夜までかかるだろう。このへんでちょっと一休みしておこう。」うさぎは、昼寝を始めました。「ぐーぐーぐー。」

亀は、その間にうさぎを追い抜いてしまいました。うさぎが目をさますと、亀は、ゴールまであと少しのところにいました。

「しまった。寝すぎた！」

うさぎがどんなに急いでも、亀には追い付けませんでした。

先にゴールした亀は、うさぎに向かってこう言いました。

「うさぎさん、ずいぶん遅いね。さっきの自慢はどうしたの？」

うさぎは、なにも言い返せませんでした。

おしまい。

VOCABULARY

亀 - do not read ひさし but かめ ! means "turtle"

昔昔 - むかしむかし / A long ago

あるところに "in a certain place" [a very common way to start a fairy tale in Japanese. Another clichéd opening line is 昔昔 a long time ago ]

言 - means げん (word) but in this situation we read it as い [ 言いました =>  いいました "said" ]

世界 - read as せかい, means "world"

一番 - read as いちばん, means "the most, best, number one"

のろい means "slow", "dense" [a bit more rude than osoi the common word for ‘slow’]

答 - read as こたえ, means "answer" but in word 答えました=> こたえました it means "replied"

それなら means "if that is the case, in that case"
麓まで read as ふもとまで means "to the foot"

私 - read as わたし, means "I, me" (female or formal)

競争 - read as きょうそう, means "competition, races"

よーし means "well, fine"

やりましょう means "let's do it"

始 - read as はじめ, means "start, begin" はじめました "began"

追い抜い - read as おいぬい, means "overtook him" [ This is an example of two verbs stuck together to combine the meaning: 追う "to follow, pursue" + 抜く "to leave, omit" ]

走っ - read as はしっ, means "run" [ 走りながら "while running" ながら "while" ]

心 - read as こころ, means "heart"

心の中で - read as こころのなかで, means "in heart" (inside thoughts)

思い - read as おもい, means "think" 

夜 - read as よる, means "night"

どうせ means "anyway, after all, in the end"

かかる means "take" (time)

だろう means "I think, suppose"

一休み - read as ひとやすみ, means "rest". Kanji 一 means "first, one"  , 休 means "holiday"

ちょっと means "a little" (in this meaning, but this word has many other meanings)

昼寝 - read as ひるね, means "nap, sleep"

このへん means "here, in this place, this area"

その間 read as そのあいだ means "during that time"

しまいました means "Unfortunatelly" in this meaning, the base of word is しま

しまった! Means "Oops", "Damn it" or "Oh no!"

寝すぎた! read as ねすぎた! means "I overslept!"

急い - read as いそい , means "hurry"

[追い付く - read as おいつく , means "overtake", 追い付けません "can't overtake" 

先 - read as さき , means "destination, end"

ゴール "goal"

に向かった read as にむかった means "turn to face, faced"

ずいぶん means  "much, fairly"

遅い read as おそい, means "slow"

自慢 read as じまん , means "pride"

返 read as かえ , means "return, reply"

言い返せません means "didn’t reply" [This is another doubled verb: 言う iu (to say) + 返す kaesu (return)]

おしまい means "THE END" in the story

TRANSLATION

A long time ago, lived a rabbit and turtle. The rabbit said to the turtle. "Turtle, you are the slowest in the world, aren't you? Why are you so slow?"

Turtle replied to the rabbit.

"How could you say such a thing? In that case, let's race with me. There is a small hill (the base of hill, not the top). Which one will arrive first? Let's race!"
"Well, let's do it!"

Rabbit and turtle began the race.

Rabbit overtook the turtle and continued run progressively.

While running, he (rabbit) thought like this (inside his heart): " I guess, even if turtle will hurry, it will take until night anyway. Let's rest a little here." Rabbit began nap. "Goo goo goo..."

Unfortunatelly, turtle during that time overtook rabbit. Rabbit woke up. Turtle was almost in the end.

"Damn it! I overslept!"

Rabbit also started hurry, but he couldn't overtake. The turtle, who had already passed the finish line, faced the rabbit and said.

"Rabbit, you are a quite slow, aren't you? What happend to your previous boasting?"

Rabbit didn't reply.

THE END.

BTW, sorry for mistakes, I'm just begginer in Japanese and my English is average too. 

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