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This tale is told all over the world! There are versions from Germany, Poland, Norway, and from many of the Native American tribes in the United States. Read the story and look at the pictures. Can you number the pictures in the correct order?
nce upon a time, bears had beautiful long tails. One bear was very, very proud of his tail. Bear would brag about his magnificent tail to anyone who would listen. Fox got tired of listening to bear brag day after day. So, he came up with an idea to trick Bear. Fox stole a big bunch of fish and waited for Bear to walk by. Bear saw the fish and asked Fox, “How did you get so many tasty fish? Can you teach me how to get fish like that?”
“Oh, it is so easy!” said Fox. “Start by going to the frozen pond, cut a hole in the ice and then drop your tail into the hole and wait as long as you can! The longer you wait, the more fish you’ll catch. If your tail starts to hurt, don’t worry about it,” Fox explained. “It means that the fish are biting.” Bear did just as Fox said. Bear waited and waited. His tail started to hurt, but he remembered Fox’s advice and he stayed put. After a while, he fell asleep. ox came by the next morning to find Bear sleeping and covered with snow. The hole in the ice had frozen over, trapping his long tail. Fox shouted, “GOOD MORNING!” in Bear’s ear, causing him to jump up in surprise and yank his tail out of the ice. Bear’s tail snapped right off and that is why bears have stumpy tails to this very day.
© Vicki Whiting November 2025
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