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A Fox, that had got caught in a trap and lost his tail when getting away, was so ashamed, that he thought life not worth living. So he had a mind to get the rest of the Foxes into the same scrape, and thus hide his own maiming in the common fortune. Well, he got them all together, and urged them to cut off their tails, telling them that the tail was not only a very ugly thing, but so much dead weight hung on behind. But one of them caught him up, saying, "My good fellow, this is all very well, but if it were not for your benefit you never would be advising us to do it."
The story shows the way to answer those who give advice to their neighbors, not out of good will, but because they are looking out for themselves.
![[Illustration]](http://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/gold/books/scudder/children/scudder_children_zpage010b.gif)