The Fox Without a Tail

: Aesop's Fables

It happened that a Fox caught its tail in a trap, and in

struggling to release himself lost all of it but the stump. At

first he was ashamed to show himself among his fellow foxes. But

at last he determined to put a bolder face upon his misfortune,

and summoned all the foxes to a general meeting to consider a

proposal which he had to place before them. When they had

assembled together the Fox proposed that they should all do away

with their tails. He pointed out how inconvenient a tail was when

they were pursued by their enemies, the dogs; how much it was in

the way when they desired to sit down and hold a friendly

conversation with one another. He failed to see any advantage in

carrying about such a useless encumbrance. "That is all very

well," said one of the older foxes; "but I do not think you would

have recommended us to dispense with our chief ornament if you had

not happened to lose it yourself."



Distrust interested advice.