Was the hare really at fault?

Everyone has heard the story about the hare and the tortoise, with the hare sleeping in between the race while the tortoise kept on moving slowly and finally won the race. For years, i've been told the story as an example that being hardworking pays off.. and everyone blames the poor rabbit for being lazy.

But was the poor rabbit really at fault? And if Yes, then what was his fault? All he did was to take some time off for himself in the race for success. And he was punished to serve as a bad example for generations to come. Is it really such a bad idea to take have some time off from work and do really whatever you want to do? And if you do it, is it worth the stuff you lose?