Why the Bear Is Stumpy-Tailed facts for kids
Why the Bear Is Stumpy-Tailed (Norwegian: Hvorfor bjørnen er stubbrumpet) is a fun Norwegian fairy tale. It was collected by two famous people, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. They put it in their book called Norske Folkeeventyr.
This story is known as a "Tail-Fisher" type tale. It's a very old kind of story where someone tries to catch fish using their tail!
How the Bear Lost Its Tail
One day, a big, hungry bear saw a clever fox carrying some fresh fish. The fox had actually stolen the fish. The bear was curious and asked the fox how he got so many fish.
The fox, being tricky, told the bear a tall tale. He said he caught the fish using his own tail! The fox explained that he cut a hole in the ice on a frozen lake. Then, he told the bear to put his tail into the cold water and wait.
The fox also gave the bear some strange advice. He said not to worry if his tail started to sting. That feeling, the fox claimed, meant the fish were biting! When the bear thought he had enough fish, he should pull his tail out with a strong, sideways tug.
The bear believed the fox completely. He found a frozen lake, made a hole, and dipped his tail into the icy water. He waited and waited, even when his tail started to feel very cold and numb. He thought the stinging was just fish biting!
The bear left his tail in the water for a very long time. It got so cold that his tail froze solid in the ice! When the bear finally tried to pull it out with a strong tug, his tail snapped right off. That's why, the story says, all bears have short, stumpy tails today.
Similar Stories Around the World
This type of story, where an animal loses its tail by trying to fish with it, is very popular. You can find similar tales in many different countries and cultures.
In some versions of the story, it's not always a bear who gets tricked. Sometimes, other animals are the victims. For example, in some tales, a wolf or even a rabbit might be the one who tries to fish with their tail and ends up with a short one!
