Okay, Addy. After weeks of training, it's finally race day.
I wish we were running already.
All this waiting is making me nervous.
Oh. There you go, Karl.
Thanks, Stillwater.
My pleasure.
Some of the best runners are here.
Asha is here.
Who's Asha?
She wins all the races.
-I'm not ready. -Yes, you are.
You practiced running in the trees behind our house
and you've been working on your speed.
Being ready is the first step to winning the race.
Do you remember the second?
Steady.
Addy's even steady upside down.
Not too fast and not too slow.
Go a steady pace and keep your breathing steady.
And third is?
-Go! -That's right.
Once you reach the final lap, give it all you got
and go as fast as you can to the finish line.
No. The race is starting!
I've gotta go.
It's starting. Get ready. This will be loud.
You can do this!
Oh! How exciting.
What's going on? I can't see Addy.
This is called a cross-country race.
Part of it takes place in the woods where we can't see.
If we can't see her, how do we know she's doing okay?
That's what makes it exciting. We don't.
But Addy's been working really hard at this.
I'm sure she's doing great.
Steady. Not too fast.
Not too slow.
Set a good pace.
Is Addy coming yet? I have a water for her.
They should be nearing the middle of the race.
It might be a while.
Perhaps you can put your arm down until you see the runners return.
I wonder how Addy's doing.
She's coming out of the woods now.
Watch out for that tree branch. One last log to jump over.
There she is.
-Go! -Go! Go! Go!
That's it. The race is over.
Did Addy win?
No, she lost.
Let's go see Addy.
Addy, that was amazing!
I brought you water.
But I drank it.
Cheering can make you thirsty.
Thank you, Stillwater.
No, thanks.
Well, at least you were out in front for most of the race...
until the end.
Why don't we celebrate your race with a smoothy?
I don't feel like one.
Oh?
There's nothing for me to celebrate. I didn't win.
Asha always wins.
Thanks, guys.
Would you like to hear a story?
I would!
It's called "The Tortoise and the Hare."
I know that story already.
The turtle beats the rabbit.
Well, this story has a slightly different ending.
-It does? -It does.
One sunny day, everyone came out to see the big race
between the tortoise and the hare.
On your marks.
Get set.
Go!
See you at the finish line!
See you later, Hare.
Yep.
-You did it again! -Oh, yeah? You like that?
Yeah. I knew. I knew it. We knew it. We all knew it.
Now to wait for Tortoise.
I'm going home.
I'm sure Tortoise will be here soon.
This is my happy racing song
I love to race all day long
This is my happy racing song
I love to race all day long
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
I did it. I won!
But Hare finished hours ago.
How can you claim victory, Tortoise?
Do you see? The sun is still up.
Every time I've raced before,
it was long after dark when I crossed the finish line.
I beat the sunset.
That's faster than I ever have before.
And I had a grand time doing so.
Tortoise knew that doing his best was reason to celebrate.
The tortoise wasn't racing against the hare.
He was racing against himself.
And he sang a happy little song while doing it.
Hey, Michael. What was my fastest time in practice?
Your fastest practice time was 24 minutes, and today was 22.
That's two minutes faster.
Yeah! That's my best time ever. A personal record.
All right.
What does that even mean?
It means we all get smoothies.
You know, your time today even beat Asha's fastest time from the last race.
Maybe Asha is still the fastest, but I did my best.
Hey, Addy. I just wanted to come over and say hi.
-Hi, Asha. -Hi.
Congratulations on your win.
You ran a great race.
I had to run faster than I ever have just to catch you.
I got my best time today.
Me too.
And the winner is... Karl!
Come on, Tortoise. You can make it.
This is my happy racing song
I love to race all day long
Karl.
Come have some breakfast.
No, thanks. I already ate.
I'm going to see Stillwater.
Wait, Karl.
You can't go out like that. Your shirt's too small.
No, it's not.
Yeah, it is.
No, it's not. It's awesome.
Now that was awesome. Do it again, Karl.
No. I'm going to see Stillwater.
In that shirt? Isn't it kinda small for you now?
No! It's perfect, and it fits just fine.
He really loves that shirt.
Are you dancing, Stillwater?
Not exactly.
I'm practicing tai chi.
It's a series of special movements
that help me calm myself and get ready for the day.
It looks like slow-motion karate.
Would you like to try it?
Sure.
First we honor the space with a bow.
Every move in tai chi has a name.
We'll start with "Golden Rooster Standing on One Leg."
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
That's a rooster sound.
It certainly is.
I think you woke Jasper from his morning nap.
Begin with feet apart and arms at your side.
Lift your knee and hand until your elbow is just above your knee.
Lift your hand and knee.
Breathe in...
and out.
Now turn your other toes out.
Lift your left knee and hand.
Breathe in and out.
It seems like you're having a little trouble today, Karl.
Yeah. My arms won't stretch.
My tummy is kind of cold.
I wonder what could be causing that.
Shall we continue?
Let's try "Grasping the Sparrow's Tail."
Really?
Not a real sparrow. It's the name of the movement.
Just follow me.
Don't forget to breathe.
I guess it's my shirt.
Your shirt?
That's why my arms won't stretch.
My tummy is cold.
My shirt seems a lot smaller today.
Do you think space aliens came and zapped my shirt with a shrink ray?
Well, anything is possible.
But we probably would've noticed if space aliens were in the neighborhood.
You know, Karl, when I first met you, you came up to here on me.
Now look how tall you are.
Yeah. I'm getting taller every day!
So maybe my shirt didn't get smaller.
Maybe I got bigger?
Maybe.
I don't wanna get bigger.
I don't wanna get too big for my very most favorite shirt.
What if I get too big for my other things too?
Like my bed, or my bike, or my fireman hat.
Am I going to keep growing for the rest of my life?
Not for the rest of your life.
But you'll probably keep growing until you're a full-fledged grown-up.
Most living things grow.
Birds grow.
Bamboo grows.
Even big panda bellies grow.
I like your big belly.
Me too.
Stillwater, look!
Oh. It's just Jasper and his favorite box.
This is his home away from home.
He barely fits.
This reminds me of another animal and her traveling home.
Come sit with me, Karl, and I'll tell you about it.
Sure.
All right, Karl.
There once was a hermit crab who had found the perfect home
in a pretty little shell that was just the right size.
She carried that shell with her wherever she went.
Hey. Nice shell, Nani.
Thanks. I just love it so much.
I'm going to keep it forever.
But forever is a long time.
And as the crab grew, the shell began to feel smaller and smaller.
Come on, Nani. We're swimming over to the reef today.
Be right out.
That's weird. This shell feels a little tight.
Looks like it's time for you to move on to a new shell.
A new shell?
No. I'm never gonna find another shell as special as this one.
Never ever, never.
And so she continued to live uncomfortably in her pretty little shell.
Until one morning...
I'm stuck.
Her ocean friends tried to help.
They tried pulling her out.
Not working.
They tried shaking her out.
Not helping!
They even slathered her shell with super-slippery sea snail slime
and tried to slide her out.
It was a bit painful, all that pulling and shaking and sliding.
But finally...
No more stuck.
I am going to miss my beautiful shell,
but maybe it's time for a new beginning.
No.
Not that one.
With the help of her friends, the crab soon found a new shell.
This new shell is different, but I think I'm going to love it.
I'll always remember my old shell,
but it's time to say goodbye.
And that's not all.
The crab's old home became a new home for someone else.
I bet it was just the right fit.
You know what, Stillwater?
I think I might need a new shell too.
You think so?
I mean, I like this shirt best,
but maybe there will be a new best.
What are you guys doing?
We're just talking about me saying goodbye to my old shell and getting a new one.
Well, a new shell sounds nice, but how about a new shirt instead?
I mean, it's not exactly new, but it's...
Awesome!
It was my absolute favorite when I was your age, Karl.
Then one day it got too small.
You mean you got too big.
Yeah. But I never got rid of it.
And I think it'll fit you now.
You're giving me your favorite shirt?
It's a little big, but you'll grow into it.
Thanks, Michael.
What do you think of my new shirt, Stillwater?
I've always liked horses.
-Me too. -Me too.
Did you know there's a tai chi move called "Parting the Horse's Mane"?
Show us how to do it, Stillwater.
I'd be delighted.
Now...
With our spirits We were floating through the trees
Like creatures, we were soaring high Blowing off some steam
Or a mountain And its effervescent green
A never-ending dream
I found a little bit of honey
And now I'm a little sweeter inside
It's just a little bit funny
But now I have the world on my side