“The next morning when he awoke, he had the greatest surprise of his life.  He had a new tail!  It was broad and thick and flat.  It wasn’t like any tail he had ever seen or heard of.  At first he didn’t know how to manage it, but when he tried to swim, he found that it was even better than his old tail for swimming.  He hurried over to begin his day’s work, and there he made another discovery; his new tail was just the most splendid brace!  It was almost like a stool to sit on, and he could work all day long without tiring his legs.  Then was Mr. Beaver very happy, and to show how happy he was, he worked harder than ever.  Later, he found that his new tail was just what he needed to pat down the mud with which he covered the roof of his house.

“‘Why,’ he cried, ’I believe it is the most useful tail in all the world!’

“And then he wished with all his might that Old Mother Nature would return so that he might thank her for it.  And that,” concluded Grandfather Frog, “is how Mr. Beaver came by his broad tail.  You see, Old Mother Nature always helps those who help themselves.  And ever since that long-ago day, all Beavers have had broad tails, and have been the greatest workers in the world.”