The Fox Without a Tail

英语自学网

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.