The Fox Without a Tail

In the past, there was a fox named Swift that lived in a beautiful woodland. Everyone in the forest knew that Swift was a brilliant and cunning creature, with a reputation for quick wit and ingenious pranks.

Swift was out foraging for food one day when he came across a bunch of farmers working in their fields. Just as they finished picking their apples, the farmers dropped a basket full of perfectly ripe fruit.

Swift's eyes widened in anticipation as he caught sight of the juicy apples, and he quickly made up his mind that he simply had to have some. As a result, he devised a scheme to steal the apples and then quickly leave.

When the farmers weren't looking, he quietly approached the basket and took one apple. One of the farmers saw him as he was trying to escape and yelled, "Get out of here!" "Hey! Robber, you must stop!"

Swift, realizing the urgency of the situation, made a hasty exit into the woods while the farmers pursued him. As swiftly as he ran, hopping over logs and sidestepping trees, the farmers were getting closer.

Swift came up with a plan just before the farmers were about to pounce. Then he recalled his unique ability: he could utilize his long, bushy tail as a balancing device while running.

And then he halted, turned around, and yelled after the farmers, "Hey, catch me if you can!" Next, he tucked his tail between his legs and bolted towards the woods.

Farmers were taken aback by how swiftly Swift had gotten away and were determined to track him down. They followed him into the forest, but Swift easily outran them.

Then Swift made a critical error by turning around to gauge the distance between himself and the farmers. His curled-up tail suddenly became straight behind him since he neglected to keep it that way.

Swift, without the stabilizing influence of his tail, raced into many obstacles. Farmers were able to track him down and capture him with relative ease; they then brought him back to their farm to teach him a lesson.

Swift realized then and there that it is better to be honest and fair than dishonest and unfair. And from that moment on, he resolved to stop stealing other people's stuff.

The lesson to be learned from this anecdote is that treating others with integrity is always the better option. Work hard and earn what you have, rather than trying to take short cuts or cheat your way to success.