The Fox Without a Tail

Aesop's Fables

The Fox Without a Tail

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.