The Fly Who Wanted to Have a Tail

One day the Fly looked at the animals and birds around her and saw that they all had tails. “It’s a good thing to have a tail,” thought the Fly. “What a pity I haven’t a tail! But I am going to have one. Yes, I shall have a tail.”

And she at once flew to the Man. “Please, Man, give me a tail,” she said. “All animals and birds have tails, only I haven’t. I also want to be beautiful.”

“The trouble with you, Fly, is that you are a fool. They all have tails because tails help them to live. Look,” the Man pointed to the Monkey hanging by its tail from a tree. “You see, for him a tail is like one more hand. As for you, I don’t think you should have a tail.”

The Fly got very angry with the Man. She put her feet, black with dust, right into a box of snow-white sugar. Then she flew round the Man’s face and sat down on his nose.

“Please, Man, make me a tail, will you?” repeated the Fly. “I want you to give me a tail,” she said angrily.

“You strange little thing,” laughed the Man. “All right, if you see an animal or a bird with a tail only to make it beautiful, you will have a tail too.”

“Well,” said the Fly, “I shall fly to the animals and birds and ask them to give me a tail. But remember your words: if I see someone with a tail that does not help him and only makes him beautiful, you will give me his tail.”

“All right, all right,” said the Man and laughed again. The Fly was happy. “I am sure some animal or bird will give me its tail,” she thought and hurried out of the room.

She flew out of the window straight to the river. There she saw a Fish.

“Give me your beautiful tail, will you?” she said. “I am sure you have it only to be beautiful.”

“You are a fool to say that. I can’t give you my tail; it helps me to swim,” answered the Fish and swam away. The Fly watched it in the river and saw that it was right: the tail helped the Fish to swim.

Then the Fly flew to the woods. She saw a bird sitting high in a tree. “Will you give me your tail, please?” said the Fly. “It does not help you, it only makes you beautiful.”

“Oh, no, you are wrong. How do you think I could make a nest for myself or get something to eat for my children without my tail?”

“But you have your beak,” answered the Fly.

“Yes, that is so, but I must have my tail too. I cannot work without it.” The bird saluted the Fly with its beak and began to work while sitting on its tail. “You watch me,” the bird said, “this is the way I work.”

The Fly watched the bird for a minute and saw that it was right. She flew away and soon met the Fox. The Fox had a beautiful red-brown tail. It looked wonderful. “Well, I’m sure the Fox will give me her tail,” thought the Fly.

“Give me your tail, will you?” the Fly began her old song again.

“How can you talk like that?” cried the Fox, and the Fly saw that the Fox was afraid.

“But why not?” asked the Fly. “What do you do with your tail? You can pick up what you eat without your tail, you can run, swim, and even bathe without your beautiful tail, can’t you?”

“You don’t understand what you are talking about,” said the Fox. “If I give you my tail, I can die.”

“But why?” asked the Fly.

“When men and dogs come to the woods I must run away. I brush the ground with my long tail and the dogs do not know where I have gone. So you see how much my tail helps me.”

The Fly said goodbye to the Fox and flew away. She flew home and on her way passed a pioneer camp with many children sitting around the campfire. They danced and sang gay songs. “No,” thought the Fly, “I shall not fly to them; they have no tails and they will not help me.” And she flew straight to the Man.

When the Man saw the Fly he asked her, “Where have you been all the time? Has anyone given you a tail? Report to me.”

“Well, no one wants to give me a tail. They say they must have a tail because they cannot swim, run, or work without it,” answered the Fly.

“You see!” said the Man. “I knew it! I knew it all along. Next time think before you ask me for something.”

“But I want a tail too! Give me a tail, Man, will you?” repeated the Fly.

“Haven’t the animals and birds taught you a good lesson?” asked the Man. But the Fly did not listen to him. She flew around him, sat on his nose, lips, and cheeks, and repeated angrily, “Give me a tail, Man!”

“Well,” said the Man. “Go to the Cow; you have not been to the Cow, have you?”

The Fly at once flew out of the window and hurried to the Cow. She sat on the Cow’s back and wanted to ask her the question about the tail.

But “Swish-sh” went the Cow’s long tail, and that was the end of the Fly who wanted to have a tail.