A tale of tails.

The gray squirrel's fluffy tail has many uses. Sometimes its tail is an umbrella. On rainy days, the squirrel curls the tail up over its head. Now and then it flicks its tail to shake off the raindrops.

For the red fox, a tail is a blanket. The fox's tail is about a foot long, thick, and furry. On cold days, the fox lies down and wraps the tail around itself. The tail covers up its feet and nose.

A porcupine protects itself with its tail. Once I met a porcupine on a narrow trail. It was afraid of me. But it didn't run away. A porcupine can't run very fast. Instead, it turned around and started swinging its tail back and forth. Its tail was covered with sharp quills. I didn't want to get whacked by it! So I let the porcupine use the trail, and I went through the bushes.

Another day I was startled by a snorting sound. A deer stood in the bushes, staring at me. It raised its tail and leaped away. A deer's tail is brown on top and white underneath. When the deer raised its tail, the white fur shone. It was like a signal: Danger! Another deer saw the white tail and followed the first one to safety.

The beaver's tail is broad and flat. When the beaver swims, its tail helps it to steer or go fast. The beaver sometimes slaps the water with its tail--whap! This sound means danger. The beaver's tail also helps on land. A beaver can rear up to cut down a tree with its teeth. At these times, a tail helps the beaver to keep its balance. When the beaver carries sticks to build a dam, it walks on two feet--and its tail.

Old drawings sometimes show an opossum hanging from a tree by its tail. I've never seen that. But the opossum does use its tail to hold on to things. The tail is like a fifth hand. An extra "hand" makes it easier to pick berries off the wiggly twigs at the top of a tree and to make a nest. The opossum gathers dried leaves on the ground. It tucks its tail between its legs, and the tail holds the leaves tight against the opossum's belly. Then its four paws are free for climbing back up the tree to its nest.

You once had a tail, too--when you were the size of a nut, snug inside your mother's womb. As you grew, your tail got smaller. By the time you were born, your tail was nearly gone. All that's left is that knobby stump at the bottom of your backbone. This is the bump that gets hurt when you slip on the ice. But if you still had a tail as these animals do, which tail would you want?