A fox was caught in a hunter’s trap and had to tear off her tail in order to escape. Ashamed to go home, she laid low and waited for the wound to heal. As she waited she thought about what to say on her return.

She decided to tell everyone it had been her choice to get rid of her tail. “I wanted a fresh, modern look,” she explained. “Tails are so old-fashioned, plus they are a liability. They’re just bits of fluff that only get in the way. We don’t really need them.”

The other foxes listened with interest. They hadn’t considered their tails before and couldn’t really say what purpose they served, sticking out behind them, sometimes bushy, sometimes sleek. But one of her neighbours was unconvinced. “I heard you were caught in a hunter’s trap,” he commented, with a casual tone that was less than friendly.

The fox, however, was undeterred. “How else do you get rid of a tail?” she responded. “It wasn’t easy, I can tell you. But it was worth it. You would never do it because you’re a fluffy-tailed coward with no imagination.”

© Richard Parkin, 2026

Further reading: Misadventures in the Land of Fables #64