Why Rabbit Has A Short Tail Story With Moral Lesson/Summary

Long ago, by the time the world was young, the Rabbit had a long bushy tail that he was very proud of. His tail was bushier and longer than Fox’s tail.

The Rabbit has so carried away with his beautiful tail that each time he sees other animals, he constantly tells them about it.

After quite some time, the jealous Fox became tired of hearing the bragging of Rabbit about his tail. He concluded to put an end to Rabbit’s boasting decisively.

The time came that the weather became colder. The day finally came when it became so cold that the water froze in lakes and streams.

After a few days of further waiting for his proper time, Fox came down to the lake, taking with him four fish. He immediately cut a hole when he got to the lake.

Then, he tied the four fish to his tail, sat beside the hole he dug, and patiently waited for the Rabbit to arrive.

Shortly after, Rabbit came happily hopping over the top of the ridge. Fox immediately saw Rabbit, so he quickly dropped his tail into the cold water.

Curious Rabbit quickly hopped towards Fox when he saw him and asked, “What are you doing?” “I’m fishing, Rabbit,” Fox answered.

“With your tail?” asked Rabbit again. “Oh yes, that’s the best way to catch a lot of fish,” replied the Fox.

Rabbit queried, “How long have you been fishing?” Fox falsified and said, “Oh, it’s just fifteen minutes since I started.” “So, have you caught any fish then?” Rabbit asked again.

Fox pulled up his tail, and four fish were hanging on it.”

“Wow, that’s a lot! What do you plan to do with the fish you catch?” queried Rabbit. Fox says, “Well, I figured out I will fish for a week. After getting enough fish, I will take it to the Cherokee village and trade them with beautiful tail combs. One set of tail combs was left, and I want them to brush on my lovely tail.”

Fox saw that Rabbit was thinking about what he had said. Rabbit thought, “If I would fish all night, I could probably catch enough fish by morning to trade for the comb in the Cherokee village. Then, I could brush my long and bushy tail.”

Fox said, “It’s getting late, and I’m cold. It’s time for me to go home. I think I’ll come back in the morning to fish some more. See you tomorrow, Rabbit.”

Then Fox happily lopped off over the ridge and went home straight. By the time Fox was out of sight, foolish Rabbit had dropped his tail down into the lake’s icy water. “Brrrrrr, it was so cold!”

But Rabbit remembered, “Oh, no. I will do it, for I want those combs for my tail more than anything else.” So, Rabbit sat down on the hole in the ice to fish all night.

Morning came, and the rose in the sky; Fox excitedly lopped over the top of the ridge. He ran straight to Rabbit. He said, “Rabbit, what are you doing there?”

Rabbit, who was trembling in the cold, began to chatter. “I’mmm ffffiiisssshiiiing, Ffffooooox.” Fox secretly laughed and said, “Have you caught any fish yet?”

Rabbit weakly started to get up, but he discovered he couldn’t push up his whole body. He pleaded, “Ffffooox, I’mmm sssstttttuuuck, you’ve gggotttt to hellpppp meeee.”

Then, Fox, with a big bright smile, walked behind Rabbit. He gave one mighty big shove to Rabbit.

Rabbit’s body eventually popped out of that hole and landed across the other side of the lake. But his tail didn’t pop along with his body.

It was still stuck in the frozen water. The Rabbit was full of regret for believing Fox’s ideas. And so, from that moment on to this day, Rabbit has a short tail.