In a snug little den, under a big oak tree, lived Mr. Fox. And Mr. Fox was feeling a bit mischievous. "I wonder," he thought to himself one morning, "if Mrs. Fox truly loves me. I have an idea!"

So, Mr. Fox lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and pretended to be very, very still. He didn't wiggle his nose, he didn't twitch his ears, he didn't even flick his tail.

Mrs. Fox came into the room. "Oh dear!" she cried, seeing him so still. "My poor Mr. Fox! He looks so… gone!" She dabbed her eyes with a tiny handkerchief. She felt very sad, or at least, she looked very sad. She went to her own room and locked the door. "I'm too upset to see anyone!" she announced.

Her maid, a clever cat named Kat, stayed by the kitchen. Soon, there was a knock at the door. Tap, tap, tap!

Kat opened it. A young fox stood there. "I've heard the sad news," he said. "I've come to see if Mrs. Fox might need a new husband."

Kat went to Mrs. Fox's door. "Mistress Fox," she called, "there's a suitor here. Is he handsome? Does he have nine beautiful, bushy tails, just like your dear old Mr. Fox?"

The suitor outside called out, "Oh, I only have one tail, but it's very fluffy!"

From behind her door, Mrs. Fox sighed. "Only one tail? Oh no, Kat. Send him away. He's not the one for me."

So Kat sent the one-tailed fox away.

Soon, another knock! Tap, tap, tap! This fox had two tails.
Kat asked Mrs. Fox again, "Does this one have nine tails, like your Mr. Fox?"
"Two tails are better than one," Mrs. Fox considered, "but still not nine. Send him away, Kat."

And so it went. A fox with three tails came, then one with four, then five, six, seven, and even one with eight splendid tails! Each time, Kat would ask, and each time Mrs. Fox would say, "Not enough tails! He won't do. Send him away!"

Finally, there was a very confident knock at the door. KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
Kat peeked out. Her eyes grew wide. "Oh, Mistress Fox!" she called excitedly. "You must hear this! This suitor... he has NINE magnificent, bushy tails! Just like Mr. Fox used to have!"

Mrs. Fox's door flew open. "Nine tails?" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "Truly? Oh, let him in, Kat! Let him in at once!"

In trotted a very handsome young fox, his nine tails swishing proudly behind him. Mrs. Fox clapped her paws. "You are perfect!" she declared. "We shall have a wedding! Kat, prepare a feast!"

Kat bustled about, getting out the berry pies and the honey cakes. The young fox with nine tails smiled at Mrs. Fox. Mrs. Fox smiled back. Everything was ready for a grand celebration.

But just as the young fox was about to ask Mrs. Fox to be his wife, guess who sat up in the other room?
Old Mr. Fox!
He stretched. He yawned a big, foxy yawn. Then he hopped out of bed.
"What is all this noise?" he grumbled, walking into the main room. "A party? And who, pray tell, is this?" he asked, looking straight at the young fox with nine tails.

Mrs. Fox gasped! The young suitor’s jaw dropped. Kat nearly dropped a pie.
Old Mr. Fox, looking not mischievous anymore but rather cross, grabbed a nearby broom. "Out!" he shouted. "Out of my house, all of you party-crashers!"

He chased the young nine-tailed fox out the door, and all the wedding food was quickly put away.
Mrs. Fox looked a little bit sheepish. The wedding was most definitely off!
Old Mr. Fox, however, had a little twinkle in his eye. His trick had worked. And he was quite sure Mrs. Fox wouldn't be looking for a new husband anytime soon, especially not one with nine tails.

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