Why the Bobcat has No Tail

Long ago, before man ruled the forest, there was a creature named Bobcat. Bobcat was a very vain, gullible and unintelligent creature. He had a very long, bushy tail that was admired by all of the other animals. He was very fond of his tail and spent his days bounding around the forest teasing the other animals about their small, skinny tails. One cold winter day, Bobcat came across Fox, one of the most cunning and intelligent animals of the forest.

“Your tail is not nearly as beautiful as mine,” Bobcat teased.

Fox, being the clever creature she was, suddenly devised a plan to rid the cat of his precious tail.

“Of course not,” she said calmly, a smirk spreading across her face, “But I know a creature that has a more gorgeous tail.”

“That is preposterous!” Bobcat scoffed, “No animal alive has a fluffier and more beautiful tail than I!”

“This being does. Meet him by the lake at sunset tomorrow and he will show you what a real tail looks like.”

The next day, as the sun began to disappear behind the mountain, Bobcat ventured to the lake. It was iced over, as it was every winter, and was so glassy the trees and sun reflected on it.

Bobcat sat on a hill that sloped down to the icy lake and waited.

“Where is that creature Fox informed me of?” he grumbled.

Bobcat stayed until the sun had disappeared and the moon was at it’s highest but the animal Fox had mentioned was no where in site. Frustrated, Bobcat leaped down the snowy hill, hoping that he could get a better view.

When his paws felt the icy coldness of the lake Bobcat looked down. There, in front of him was an animal with the most beautiful tail he had ever seen.

“My tail is the best,” Bobcat insisted.

When the animal staring at him just glared Bobcat shouted in anger.

“My tail is the best!” He yelled again.

“My tail is the best!” Came another voice.

At this Bobcat snarled and bared his teeth, only for the other creature to do the same. He screamed again in anger and when the other animal repeated his actions, Bobcat slashed at his shoulder.

They started to fight with each other. Both slid across the ice, scratching and growling at each other until they were both out in the middle of lake where the ice was thin.

“My tail is the best!” Bobcat snarled loudly.

“My tail is the best!” Came the other’s reply.

Bobcat was so annoyed he hit the ice with all of his might, causing the ice and the creature below him to shatter.

Bobcat fell into the freezing cold water, causing him to inhale sharply. Jagged pieces of ice slashed at his sides and water flooded over his head as he paddled around madly, trying to get out along the thin ice.

When Bobcat finally found a spot where the ice was thick enough he pulled himself up. He sputtered and gasped for breath as he collapsed onto the ice, exhausted from both the fight and the swim.

After a moments rest he stood up again, only to find his tail was caught between two sharp pieces of ice.

Fox, who was watching the whole thing from a nearby tree, leaped down from her perch.

“So Bobcat? Did you meet that creature I was talking about?” She chuckled.

“He has my tail!” Bobcat whined.

Fox laughed again.

“Well pull it away from him!”

“But the sharp ice might cut my tail off!”

Fox grinned, coming up with yet another one of her brilliant plans.

“If your tail is as amazing as you say it is, the ice won’t be sharp enough to cut it.”

Bobcat was not only a very unintelligent creature, he was also extremely gullible. He smiled at the thought of bounding around the forest again, showing off his gorgeous tail and mocking others about their small ones.

“My tail is so great mere ice will not cut through it!” he laughed confidently.

Sure enough, as Bobcat pulled his tail out of the ice, he felt a searing pain. When he finally got his tail free, all that was left was a little tuft of fur.

And to this day bobcats have no tails, only little tufts of fur to remind them not to be so vain.