Section 88
The Fox Without a Tail explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
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A fox once fell into a trap, and after a struggle managed to get free, but with the loss of his brush. He was then so much ashamed of his appearance that he thought life was not worth living unless he could persuade the other Foxes to part with their tails also, and thus divert attention from his...
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Public-domain original
A fox once fell into a trap, and after a struggle managed to get free,
but with the loss of his brush. He was then so much ashamed of his
appearance that he thought life was not worth living unless he could
persuade the other Foxes to part with their tails also, and thus
divert attention from his own loss. So he called a meeting of all the
Foxes, and advised them to cut off their tails: "They're ugly things
anyhow," he said, "and besides they're heavy, and it's tiresome to be
always carrying them about with you." But one of the other Foxes said,
"My friend, if you hadn't lost your own tail, you wouldn't be so keen
on getting us to cut off ours."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A fox who lost his tail tries to persuade other foxes to cut off theirs.
Why this scene matters
This fable warns that people may turn their own loss into advice for others.
Characters in this scene
- Fox Without a Tail: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
A fox loses his tail in a trap. To hide the shame, he tells other foxes tails are useless.