It happened that a Fox caught its tail in a trap, and in

　　struggling to release himself lost all of it but the stump1. At

　　first he was ashamed to show himself among his fellow foxes. But

　　at last he determined2 to put a bolder face upon his misfortune,

　　and summoned all the foxes to a general meeting to consider a

　　proposal which he had to place before them. When they had

　　assembled together the Fox proposed that they should all do away

　　with their tails. He pointed3 out how inconvenient4 a tail was when

　　they were pursued by their enemies, the dogs; how much it was in

　　the way when they desired to sit down and hold a friendly

　　conversation with one another. He failed to see any advantage in

　　carrying about such a useless encumbrance5. "That is all very

　　well," said one of the older foxes; "but I do not think you would

　　have recommended us to dispense6 with our chief ornament7 if you had

　　not happened to lose it yourself."

　　Distrust interested advice.