The fish had been stolen from an Indian who lived down the stream. The fox had been passing near the Indian's wigwam. He saw the fish hanging by the fire. It was cleaned and ready to cook.
"What a tasty breakfast!" thought the fox. "I think I will watch the man eat."
Soon the Indian went into the wigwam. The fox slipped up to the fire. He seized the fish, and ran away with it.
When the Indian came back, he had no breakfast. The fish was gone. No fox was to be seen.
The fox ran along, feeling much pleased with himself.
"What a cunning fox I am," he chuckled. "I will play another foxy trick. This time it shall be on the bear I see coming."
He ran up a tree that had been bent half way to earth by the West Wind. There he began to eat his fish. He smacked his lips so loudly that the bear heard him.
The bear stopped under the tree, and asked, "What are you eating that tastes so good?"
For answer the fox threw down a bit of the fish. The bear smacked his lips and cried, "More! More!"
"Go to the river, swim out to the big log, and catch your own fish," called the fox. "It's very easy! Just drop your tail into the water. Hold it there till a fish comes along and bites, then pull it up. That is the way I catch my fish. You can catch all the fish you want with your own tail."