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One summer day a crab lay on the warm sand.
“How happy I am,” he said. “I have everything I want.”
Just then he saw a fox coming along.
“How do you do, Mr. Fox,” the crab said.
“What a fine warm day this is!”
The fox sat down by the crab and began to make fun of him.
“How many legs you have!” said the fox.
“Why do you have so many!
I have only four legs, but I can run faster than you can. Will you run a race?”
“I never ran a race, Mr. Fox, but I think I could,” said the crab.
“Then run with me,” said the fox.
“You have more legs than I. You should win the race.”
How the fox laughed!
The crab said, “I have more legs than you,but you have a tail, instead.
It stands up in the air, and the wind blows it. The wind will blow you along.
Your tail will help you win. You must tie it down.”
“Well, tie my tail down,” said the fox.
“I do not need it when I race with you.”
The crab said, “I will tie your tail to your coat.”
“That is a good plan,” said the fox.
“When you are ready, we will go.
Let us run to the gate of Farmer Brown’s meadow.”
The crab tied the fox’s tail to his coat.
Then the crab held on to the tail.
Off ran the fox as fast as he could go.
Soon the fox was very near the gate.
“Foolish little crab,” he said. “He can not win a race with me.”
The fox turned around to look for the crab.
The crab was holding on to the fox’s tail!When the crab saw the fox looking at him,he gave a jump to the gate. He was there first! Then he laughed at the fox. The fox ran home.
—— A Chinese Tale
