The dogs caught the old fox and tore off his tail. But the fox still ran away from them. The jackals saw him and began to laugh: “Short tail, short tail!”
One day, during a harsh winter, hungry jackals began to complain to each other about their difficult life. Stumpy Tail approached them.
“If you come with me, I’ll treat you to chicken,” said the old fox.
The jackals agreed. Stubby Tail led them and sat them around the chicken coop, and he climbed in and ate as many chickens as he could. “I’ll bring a lot of chickens, don’t rush,” he said.
It was very cold that night. All the jackals, unbeknownst to them, had their tails frozen to the ground. The stubby tail waited until the frost grabbed the jackals' tails more tightly, and then raised a piercing cry and ran away.
The dogs heard the voice of the old fox and rushed to the chicken coop. The jackals got scared and rushed so hard that their tails were torn off. And they all became scanty.
And rightly so: don’t laugh at someone else’s misfortune.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru