The Cat Who Lost His Tail

A tale of tails. This is an aduptation of one of Aesop's fabels - the fox who had lost his tail. An assignment for college.

The Cat Who Lost His Tail

(An adaptation of 'The Fox Who Had Lost His Tail' from Aesop's Fables)

There once was a fine black cat, his fur was soft and glossy, his eyes shone like amber and his tail was the most magnificent tail you have ever seen. All the other cats were envious. It was long, beautiful and bushy " everything a cats tail should be! They attempted to create their own marvellous tails by pinching feathers from swans " quite a risky business. Still, none could compare. This fine black cat was worshipped wherever he went. He didn't mind, he believed himself more important than all those other...street cats...

One sunny afternoon " we shall call him... Mr Black " Mr Black set off for his afternoon stroll along the garden wall. He enjoyed walking past each cat's house, just to see if anyone was about to admire him. That day was particularly busy. There was an unusually large crowd that had come to admire him, again, he didn't mind, however, it did make him awfully tired. He rounded the corner and leapt gracefully into a tree, so he could rest his fine paws and enjoy the adoring words whilst looking down from a greater height to his...subjects... Suddenly a little robin flew down and perched beside him.

“I would be careful if I were you” said the bird simply.

Mr Black was taken aback at the little robins presence.

“Whatever could you possibly mean?” He said " rather ignorantly.

“Your vanity will get you into trouble, you're no better than any of those cats, your tail may be beautiful, however, true beauty is within. The outward will fade.” At that he flew up into the air, and as he flew away he shouted down to the vain creature:

“Take caution dear cat, for you never know what may be lurking 'round life's next bend.”

Mr Black muttered to himself:

“Stupid bird, he knows nothing of true beauty. He must not have had a good enough look at my fine tail. What ridiculous talk of beauty within " no such thing!”

With that he yawned. The sun was setting, it was time to get home. He wanted his beauty sleep. He jumped down from the tree and walked back towards his house. As he was walking back, a sudden noise from amongst the dustbins made him jump and he fell of the wall - landing on his feet of course, after all, he is a cat. He heard the noise once more and from behind the tin bins he heard a cruel, deep laugh that made his fur stand on end. He froze to the spot. Slowly he began to see what was lurking there. Creeping out of the shadows he saw a tall, red fox. He couldn't move for fear. The fox walked boldly up to the frightened cat, and grinned an evil grin.

“Good evening Mr Cat, you're just in time for dinner.”

With that he took his paw and made a grab for Mr Black, he pinned him to the cold, hard ground, leaned in and sniffed his meal. Mr Black struggled free from the fox's grip, but the fox was to quick, he swiped with his paw and it landed upon Mr Blacks fine, fluffy tail. He pulled it hard with such force that Black mewed in pain as he felt a rip as it came free from where it belonged. He ran and ran, pain sheering through his body, but he didn't stop until he got home. He nursed his bloodied bum and mourned the loss of his fine, fine tail!

“How will I ever face those cats again? My tail is gone, my beautiful, silken tail! Curse that wretched fox!”

He cried himself to sleep that night and for many nights after. The time came, however, when he had to venture out to the other cats. He put on a brave face and walked his normal route across the wall. He knew what he would say if those stupid cats laughed " he had been thinking it over for days! He rounded the corner and was met with a chorus of laughter.

“Haha! Look at Mr Black! He has no tail!” They jeered. “Haha! He looks so silly!”

“Silly?” He scoffed. “It's not me who looks silly! Look at you with those ugly looking tails! Did you not know that having a tail means you're the scum of the earth? HA! Scum!” He shouted, and with that he walked away, head held high.

“That'll show those mindless cats!” He mumbled. “Teach them to laugh at me!”

The cats looked bewilderedly at one another. Could it be true? They wondered.

“He wouldn't lie to us!” One silly cat said.

So they all proceeded to pull each others tails out. One by one they pulled hard. Mr Black laughed as he heard the screaming.

Over the next few weeks, as Mr Black took his normal stroll. He noticed something strange. There were fewer cats, each day, less and less. He asked a small kitten one day:

“You there, child, where have all the cats gone?”

The little kitten replied sadly:

“They keep falling off of things sir. Without their tails, they can't balance and fall to their death. Haven't you seen the news sir?” The kitten then burst into inconsolable tears.

Realising what he had done, Mr Black ran home as fast as he could, he must pack his things and move away, he had to flee from this guilt! He turned that same bend he always did, and lost his footing, he slipped and began to fall. He attempted to grab the wall, but failed. He fell, faster and harder, and landed on his back on top of a sharp, jagged rock, that brought his sorry little excuse for a life. To an end.

The End

By Emma Skeats

Reviews

[Dark Aeris]

Loved the story ^_^

[Writeress]

Aaaaaaaaaaah! What a terrible story! Makes a change from your usual happy ending though I suppose. Nicely written though. Quite surreal, which I am also fan of. What a 'tail' indeed! Nice work.