Why Bear Has a Short Tail: A Traditional Tale

Abstract

This is a landscape-formatted pamphlet of sixteen pages telling the traditional tale sometimes associated with wolf and sometimes with bear. Long ago, fox got sick of bear showing off his long tail. In this version, fox cut a hole in the ice and then put some fish on the ice around the hole. Bear was curious and even found a fish on the tail of fox. He wanted to start right in fishing out of the same hole. Fox told him that all the fish were already fished out in this hole, and he brought him to a new hole where he knew there were no fish. How will I know when I have caught a fish? I'll shout 'now.' Then pull your tail as hard as you can. Fox went home to bed. The next morning fox came back and yelled Now! Bear jumped. The hole had frozen during the night. From that day on, bears have had short tails--and have never made friends with a fox. Lively simple colored illustrations.