很早很早以前,野兽都没有尾巴。没有尾巴,没法驱赶叮在身上的蚊蝇;没有尾巴,当然不如有尾巴威武漂亮。于是,百兽之王狮子宣布:星期日大家都到林中来,给每种野兽一条尾巴! 狐狸听到狮王的命令,早早地来到了集合地点,它第一个到达。随后是马、松鼠、狗和猫。接着来的是象和猪,最后是兔子。野兽们集合好后,狮子动手分尾巴。他先给自己挑了一条长长的、尾端有穗的尾巴。孤狸和松鼠各得到一条蓬松的尾巴。大象得到了一条线一般细细的尾巴,它压根儿不喜欢这条尾巴,所以,直到现在,大象总是害羞地把长鼻子垂向地面。 Very early long ago, the beast had no tail. There is no tail, can not drive the mosquitoes bite in the body; no tail, of course, mighty as beautiful tail. So the king of beasts, the lions, proclaims: Every Sunday everyone comes to the forest, giving one tail to each beast! The fox heard the Lion’s order came early to the gathering place, where it first arrived. Then came horses, squirrels, dogs and cats. Then came elephant and pigs, and finally rabbits. After the beasts are assembled, the lion hands off the tail. He first picks himself a long, tail-tailed tail. The lone bears and the squirrels each get a fluffy tail. The elephant got a thin, tailed tail that did not like the tail at all, so until now elephants always shy their long noses down to the ground.