The bear hurried on to the river. He swam to the log and dropped his tail into the water, as the fox had advised.
All day he sat and fished with his tail,—for bears then had very long tails.
The sun set, but no fish had pulled his tail. All night the bear sat on the log and fished. Cold North Wind blew his breath over the water. The river grew still and white.
Towards morning, the bear felt that his tail was getting very heavy. Now at last he was sure he had a fish. He tried to pull it up. But alas! his tail was frozen fast in the ice.
Then the fox came along. He laughed long and loudly at the bear, and asked if the fishing was good.
Some dogs heard the fox, and came tearing through the thick underbrush. They saw the fox and started after him.
The fox slyly led them on to the frozen river toward the bear. The bear saw them coming, and called to the fox to go around some other way. The fox made believe he did not hear, and came straight on to the bear to ask him what he had said.
The dogs leaped upon the bear. The bear struggled. He gave one great pull, and freed himself from the ice. He struck at the dogs so fiercely with his great paws, that they soon left him, and went on after the fox.
Dogs have been running after foxes ever since.
When the bear got his breath, he stood up and looked around at his tail. He found he had only a small piece left. Most of his tail had been left in the ice.