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Native American Stories About Tails

Here is our collection of Native American legends and traditional stories about tails.

Legends About Tails

Why Opossum's Tail is Bare

Opossum's Pretty Tail:
Native American legends about a vain opossum losing his beautiful tail.

Fox Plays a Trick

How the Bear Lost His Tail:
Algonquian legends about animals being tricked into trapping their tails in the ice.

How the Beaver Got His Tail:
Ojibwe legend about Beaver's flat tail.

The Legend of the Dog Tails

Why Dogs Sniff Each Other:
Humorous Algonquian folktales about the tails of dogs.

Beaver and Muskrat:
Menominee legend about Beaver stealing Muskrat's tail.

Rabbit's Wish For Snow:
Narragansett legend about how Rabbit got his unusual shape.

Turkey Buzzard and the Sun:
Lenape legend explaining how opossums got their hairless tails.

Coyote Goes Fishing:
Caddo legend about a man who takes revenge on Coyote by trapping his tail in the ice.

The Opossum's Tale:
Children's book illustrating a Cherokee legend about how the possum got his scaly tail.