The Tortoise and Hare, Copley Plaza - Boston, MA - Famous Fictional Figures on Waymarking.com

In Boston, on Copley Square, are two sculptures of the Tortoise and Hare from Aesop's Fables.

The pair are located on the northern side of Copley Square, by the fountain, and close to Boylston Street.

The tortoise is ahead of the hare, steadily plodding forward. The sculpture has many details on it, from the lines on the shell to the scales on the legs and feet.

The hare is posed sitting, scratching an ear, indicating distraction from the race undertaken. The hare is formed smoother than the tortoise.

A plaque nearby states:

"Tortoise and Hare and Copley Square
Was created by Nancy Schoen as a permanent tribute to the runners from all over the world who have participated in the Boston Marathon

Friends of Copley Square
May 1995"

The fable, found as part of Aesop's Fables, in brief, is a race between a boisterous hare and a slow tortoise. At the start, the hare jumps out ahead, but instead of finishing the race, the hare decides to take time out to nap. The tortoise toils on and moves ahead of the hare. The hare then wakes up and tries to make up the distance but loses. The Wikipedia article about the story provides several interpretations about the fable. It also has a sentence about this very sculpture, near the bottom of the sculpture.

As the plaque indicates, the sculpture was placed there because of the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Often, to finish the marathon, it is better to be slow and steady through all the challenges than start fast then fade with the later challenges.

The wear on the sculptures indicate that the public interacts with them quite a bit.

Character Type: Literature Character originator: Aesop Internet Link: [Web Link] Address or Location: Boylston Street, Copley Square Boston, MA

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