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Fox saw this. Fox, as everyone knows, is a trickster and likes nothing
better than fooling others. So it was that he decided to play a trick on
Bear.
It was the time of year when Hatho, the Spirit of Frost, had swept
across the land, covering the lakes with ice and pounding on the trees
with his big hammer. Fox made a hole in the ice, right near a place
where Bear liked to walk. By the time Bear came by, all around Fox, in a
big circle, were big trout and fat perch. Just as Bear was about to ask
Fox what he was doing, Fox twitched his tail which he had sticking
through that hole in the ice and pulled out a huge trout.
"Greetings, Brother," said Fox. "How are you this fine day_"
"Greetings," answered Bear, looking at the big circle of fat fish. " I
am well, Brother. But what are you doing_"
"I am fishing," answered Fox. "Would you like to try_"
"Oh, yes," said Bear, as he started to lumber over to Fox's fishing
hole.
But Fox stopped him. "Wait, Brother," he said, "This place will not be
good. As you can see, I have already caught all the fish. Let us make
you a new fishing spot where you can catch many big trout."
Bear agreed and so he followed Fox to the new place, a place where, as
Fox knew very well, the lake was too shallow to catch the winter
fish--which always stay in the deepest water when Hatho has covered
their ponds. Bear watched as Fox made the hole in the ice, already
tasting the fine fish he would soon catch. "Now," Fox said, "you must do
just as I tell you. Clear your mind of all thoughts of fish. Do not even
think of a song or the fish will hear you. Turn your back to the hole
and place your tail inside it. Soon a fish will come and grab your tail
and you can pull him out."
"But how will I know if a fish has grabbed my tail if my back is
turned_" asked Bear.
"I will hide over here where the fish cannot see me," said Fox. "When a
fish grabs your tail, I will shout. Then you must pull as hard as you
can to catch your fish. But you must be very patient. Do not move at all
until I tell you."
Bear nodded, "I will do exactly as you say." He sat down next to the
hole, placed his long beautiful black tail in the icy water and turned
his back.
Fox watched for a time to make sure that Bear was doing as he was told
and then, very quietly, sneaked back to his own house and went to bed.
The next morning he woke up and thought of Bear. "I wonder if he is
still there," Fox said to himself. "I'll just go and check."
So Fox went back to the ice covered pond and what do you think he saw_
He saw what looked like a little white hill in the middle of the ice. It
had snowed during the night and covered Bear, who had fallen asleep
while waiting for Fox to tell him to pull his tail and catch a fish. And
Bear was snoring. His snores were so loud that the ice was shaking. It
was so funny that Fox rolled with laughter. But when he was through
laughing, he decided the time had come to wake up poor Bear. He crept
very close to Bear's ear, took a deep breath, and then shouted: "Now,
Bear!!!"
Bear woke up with a start and pulled his long tail hard as he could. But
his tail had been caught in the ice which had frozen over during the
night and as he pulled, it broke off -- Whack! -- just like that. Bear
turned around to look at the fish he had caught and instead saw his long
lovely tail caught in the ice.
"Ohhh," he moaned, "ohhh, Fox. I will get you for this." But Fox, even
though he was laughing fit to kill was still faster than Bear and he
leaped aside and was gone.
So it is that even to this day Bears have short tails and no love at all
for Fox. And if you ever hear a bear moaning, it is probably because he
remembers the trick Fox played on him long ago and he is mourning for
his lost tail.
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