“Yes,” went on Buddy, “I want a tail.  All the other boys and girls who are friends of mine have them, and I don’t see why I can’t.”

For you see guinea pigs never have tails.  Why that is I don’t know, except, maybe, it’s better that way in hot weather, but, anyhow, they have no tails.

“You don’t need a tail,” said Buddy’s mamma.

“Yes, I do, mother dear,” he answered.  “Jackie and Peetie Bow Wow have tails, and so have Billie and Johnnie Bushytail, and the three Wibblewobbles, and—­”

“But Bully and Bawly, the frogs, have no tail,” said Mrs. Pigg, “and they are happy, Buddy.”

“Well, they are in the water so much it doesn’t show whether they have a tail or not,” went on Buddy.

“And Sammie and Susie Littletail haven’t much of a tail, Buddy,” said Mrs. Pigg, as she looked in the oven to see if the biscuits were burning.

“I know it, mother, but they have something of a tail,” spoke Buddy, “and maybe it will grow longer in time.  I’d be glad if I had even as much as Sammie has.”

“Well,” said Mrs. Pigg, “I’m sorry, Buddy, but I don’t see how you are ever going to get a tail.  I haven’t any, your father hasn’t any, and we get along very well.  None of your relations have tails and they are happy.  They never had any.  In fact there has never been a tail in our family and I don’t see why you want to start.  Now run out and play, like a good boy, and when Brighteyes comes back it will be supper time, and we’ll have hot biscuits and honey.”

But, though Buddy ran out, he was not happy.  There was a frown on his face, and, as he walked through the woods, he kept thinking how nice it would be to have a tail.

Pretty soon, oh, I guess in about a whisper and a squeak, Buddy Pigg heard a rustling in the tree over his head.  Then he saw two big, yellow eyes peering down at him from the darkness of the woods, and a voice called out: 

“What’s the matter, little boy?  Why are you so sad?”

“Oh, I feel bad because I haven’t a tail,” answered Buddy, wondering who was speaking.

“What’s the matter?  Did some one cut your tail off?” the voice asked.

“No,” replied Buddy, “I never had one; but I want one, awfully bad.”

“Oh, don’t worry about a little thing like that,” went on the voice.  “I can get a fine tail for you.”

“Oh, can you?” cried Buddy, his face lighting up, “are you a fairy?”

“Well, not exactly,” was the answer, “but you just run along after me, and I’ll get a tail for you, in less than no time.”

Then there was a rustling in the branches, and a great, big owl, with ears that looked like horns, flew out, and Buddy was frightened.  But the owl said: 

“Oh, don’t be alarmed, little boy.  Just follow me, and I’ll see that you get a tail.”

So the owl flew along through the dark, dismal woods, going slowly, and close to the ground so Buddy could follow, and pretty soon, the owl stopped in front of a hole in the side of a hill.