Genre and Subgenre Activity 4

Long ago the night sky was dark and still. The Sky God wanted the stars to move and dance. He asked the Wind Goddess to help. They spun and twirled until the stars began to sparkle and dance across the sky. That is why we see stars twinkling and moving at night.

In this essay, Tessa Hill says the empty lot on Maple Street should be a community garden. Right now, the lot is full of weeds and trash. Tessa thinks people could grow food and flowers there. It could also be a safe place for neighbors to meet. She gives reasons why a garden would be better. At the end, she asks readers to sign a form to help make it happen.

This book tells the true story of Nikola Tesla, a famous inventor. Diane Hargrove writes about Tesla's life. He grew up in a small village. As a boy, he loved to watch lightning storms. He wanted to use electricity to help people. Tesla moved to America with almost no money. He got a job working for Thomas Edison. The two men did not get along. Later, Tesla invented many things on his own. Hargrove shows how Tesla's ideas were ahead of his time.

Leo finds an old yo-yo in a box of his grandpa's things. When Leo throws it, the yo-yo glows bright blue and does tricks that should be impossible, like "walking the dog" through the air without touching the ground! But then the yo-yo starts moving on its own at night. Leo hears a soft whisper coming from the yo-yo. Is something from the other side playing with Leo?

In the year 2085, every person in the city is made in a lab to look exactly the same. Everyone has gray eyes and brown hair. This keeps the city peaceful because no one is different. But then a baby named Elara is born. She has bright green eyes and red hair! The scientists think their computers made a mistake. Will Elara be allowed to stay? Or are her differences too much for the world to handle?

George Washington was a real person and our first president. Walton Webber retells this story that is part of the oral tradition. When George was a boy, he got a new hatchet and chopped down his father's favorite cherry tree. When his father found the tree, George did not hide or make up a story. He said, "I can't tell a lie. I chopped down your cherry tree." People tell this story seriously to show how honest George was, even if it might not be a 100% true fact.

Do you want to win at Squirrel Launcher 3000? This is the official guide for how to play the bestselling game. Learn how to build catapults out of frozen waffles. Launch rubber chickens over the moon. Beat the Acorn King once and for all. This book is full of helpful instructions for players of all levels.

Paul Bunyan was the biggest lumberjack who ever lived. One day he had a craving for crab legs. So he decided to walk from one side of America to the other. As he dragged his giant axe behind him, it carved a deep canyon that became the Grand Canyon. When he got thirsty, he spit out a huge mouthful of water. This of course made the five Great Lakes. These weren't so great to Paul. By the time he reached the other side of the country, Paul decided that he wanted pancakes after all.

This is a funny play about two couples, the Millers and the Grays. They are all friends until they decide to play pranks on each other during dinner. Each couple pretends something is wrong to see if the others will help. Soon, everyone is so confused that they start believing their own fake stories! The play is full of laughter and silly situations. It ends in a big wedding where both couples get married.

Once upon a time, a girl named Belle went to a spooky castle to save her father. The castle was owned by a scary Beast who was actually a prince under a magic spell. A magic rose showed how much time the prince had left to break the curse. If he could find true love before the last petal fell, he would become human again. Belle and the Prince fell in love, and they lived happily ever after.

A donkey found a lion's skin lying on the ground. He put it on and walked proudly through the forest. All the other animals saw him and ran away in fear. The donkey felt very strong and important. Then he tried to roar like a lion. But, the only sound that came out was a loud "Hee-haw!" The animals stopped running and laughed. They knew it was only the donkey. The moral of the story is that you cannot hide who you really are for long.

Hoa is digging in her backyard to plant a tomato garden. Her shovel hits something hard. She pulls out a rusty metal box. Inside are old photos, letters, and a small school yearbook from twenty years ago. The kids who lived in her house before her left it as a time capsule. Hoa wants to find them and return the box. She finds names in the yearbook. She tells her parents her plan. Will Hoa be able to find these strangers and return what they buried so long ago?

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in 1818. In this book, Douglass tells the true story of his own life. He describes how he secretly taught himself to read and write. He also shares how he escaped to freedom when he was a young man. He then went on to become a famous speaker. This book lets readers hear about his life from Douglass himself.

Have you ever wondered why toast always lands on the buttered side? This book teaches you the science of the kitchen. Learn how the height of your counter makes the toast flip over before it hits the floor. It also explains why onions make you cry. And did you know that your microwave has "cold spots" that leave your food frozen? This book is full of real facts about your favorite snacks.

Tori Gates thinks students should be allowed to play games during study hall once their work is done. In this essay, she gives reasons why this rule should change. She says games help students relax. She also says games can help kids make friends. Tori asks readers to talk to their principal. She believes that free time after work is finished should be a reward, not a problem.

Kade is a boy who grew up on the streets of a giant city in the distant future. The city is full of robots, neon lights, and tall metal towers. Kade learns to fight robots in underground arenas to earn food and money. One day, an old mech pilot sees Kade win a fight. He offers Kade a chance to pilot a real mech of his own. Now Kade has to choose. Should he stay on the streets, or step into a giant robot suit and fight in the big leagues?

Long ago, the nights were silent. There was no music after the sun went down. A small brown cricket named Tev wanted to sing for the moon. But his voice was too quiet for anyone to hear. Tev climbed to the top of a tall blade of grass and called up to the Night God, Ulima. Ulima felt sorry for the little cricket. She gave him a gift: tiny wings he could rub together to make a song. From that night on, Tev sang for the moon. And that is why crickets chirp every night when the sun goes down.

Eli gets pushed around at school every day. Three older boys take his lunch money and laugh at him in the hallway. Eli is too scared to fight back. One Saturday, he meets his neighbor, an old man named Mr. Pike. Mr. Pike used to be a famous wrestler. He sees how scared Eli is and offers to teach him. Every weekend, Mr. Pike shows Eli how to stand strong, how to break a hold, and how to stay calm. Eli starts to feel different. Maybe he is stronger than he once thought.

This play is about a brave general named Othello. He is in love with a kind woman named Desdemona. They get married in secret. But one of Othello's officers, Iago, is jealous and angry. Iago tells lies to Othello. He tricks Othello into thinking that Desdemona has betrayed him. Othello starts to believe the lies, even though they are not true. By the end of the play, Othello and Desdemona both die.

A clever Fox got his tail caught in a hunter's trap. He escaped, but he had to leave his tail behind. The Fox felt embarrassed. He did not want to be the only fox without a tail. So he called all the other foxes together for a meeting. "Tails are useless!" he told them. "We should all cut them off!" An older fox listened carefully. Then she stepped forward and said, "You would not be giving this advice if you still had your own tail." The other foxes laughed and walked away. The moral of the story is that people often want others to share their misfortunes.

Long ago the night sky was dark and silent. The Sky God wanted the stars to move and dance so the world would not feel lonely. He called on the Wind Goddess for help. Together they spun and twirled until the stars began to sparkle and dance across the sky. That is why we see stars twinkling and moving at night.

In her essay, Tessa Hill says the empty lot on Maple Street should be turned into a community garden. Right now, the lot sits behind a fence and fills up with trash. Tessa thinks a garden would help her town. It would grow fresh food, give students a place to learn about science, and make the neighborhood nicer. She ends by asking readers to sign a petition and speak up at the next town meeting.

Diane Hargrove shares the true story of Nikola Tesla, a truly gifted inventor. As a young boy in a small village in what is now Croatia, Tesla loved watching lightning storms. He came to the United States with just four cents. Hargrove talks about Tesla's tough friendship with Thomas Edison and his important work on a type of power called alternating current. She also explains the personal issues that stopped Tesla from getting the praise he earned. Hargrove tells the story of a brilliant man whose thoughts were always ahead of his time.

Twelve-year-old Leo never expected his inheritance to be a wooden yo-yo. However, this isn't a normal toy. The moment he throws it, the yo-yo performs impossible tricks: spinning for minutes, walking up walls, and hovering in mid-air. Leo's excitement turns to chills when he realizes the yo-yo is trying to communicate. A ghostly figure of a boy from the past begins to appear in the bedroom mirror whenever the yo-yo is in motion. Can Leo help the spirit find peace, or is he now trapped in a dangerous magical game?

The year is 2085, and every person in the city has been genetically engineered to look exactly the same. Everyone has gray eyes and brown hair in the name of "perfect harmony." The birth of a girl named Elara with striking red hair and vivid green eyes causes panic. The leaders call her a dangerous flaw in the system, and the scientists fear their technology has made a mistake. Will Elara be allowed to stay, or are her differences too much for the world to handle?

Most people are familiar with the story of young George Washington and his father's prized cherry tree. Walton Webber retells this story that is part of the oral tradition. George received a small hatchet as a gift and, in his excitement, damaged a tree in the family garden. When confronted by his father, George did not lie, as he easily could have. Instead, he famously declared, "I can't tell a lie. I chopped down your cherry tree." While historians believe this event was likely invented by an early author to celebrate Washington's honesty, the story is still told seriously as if it were a part of his real history.

Do you want to win at Squirrel Launcher 3000? This manual provides a complete breakdown of the mechanics in the hit game. Readers will learn to build catapults using waffles and rubber chicken tension bands. The guide also explains the patterns of the Acorn King boss and provides a walkthrough for the final level. Use this book to master the physics of the game and break your old high score.

Paul Bunyan was the biggest and greatest lumberjack in American history. One day he had a craving for crab legs. So he decided to walk from one side of America to the other. Everywhere he went, he left his mark. As he dragged his enormous axe behind him through the desert, the blade carved out the massive Grand Canyon. When he got thirsty in the north, he spit out a giant mouthful of water and created the five Great Lakes. These weren't so great to Paul. His giant campfire left behind the black soil of the Midwest. Paul Bunyan's big walk accidentally made some of the most famous places in America. But by the time he reached the other side of the country, Paul decided that he wanted pancakes after all.

This is a funny play about two couples, the Millers and the Grays. They plan a joint vacation and decide to test each other's loyalty with a series of "fake" emergencies. Soon, everyone is so confused that they start believing their own fake stories! The audience follows the comic mix-ups until the third act when an ambulance arrives and even a mortician! After all the chaos and silly situations are resolved, the play ends with a big wedding where both couples get married.

Once upon a time, in a land far away, a beautiful young woman named Belle traded her freedom to save her father from a mysterious Beast. Belle soon discovered that the Beast's castle was filled with enchanted objects and a magical rose. The rose was part of a curse placed on the prince many years ago by a powerful enchantress. Only by learning to love another could the prince break the spell and return to his human form. After many adventures, Belle and the Prince broke the curse and lived happily ever after.

One day a donkey discovered a lion's skin left behind by hunters. He pulled it over himself and strutted through the woods. The other animals took one look and fled in terror. The donkey enjoyed feeling powerful for the first time. He was feeling so strong that he decided to roar like a lion. But when he did, all that came out was a loud "Hee-haw!" The animals then realized who it was and began to laugh. The moral of the story is that you cannot hide who you really are for long.

Hoa is digging up the backyard to start a vegetable garden when her shovel strikes something solid. She unearths a rusted lunchbox, sealed with old duct tape. Inside are letters, instant photos, ticket stubs, and a thin school yearbook from twenty years ago. Three kids had buried it as a time capsule, promising in a letter to come back and dig it up. They never did. Hoa decides she will find them and return the box herself. She uses the yearbook to track down a name and an address in the next town. She writes a careful letter and mails it. Now she just has to wait. Are these strangers still out there? Will any of them want to be reminded of who they were two decades ago?

Frederick Douglass wrote this book in 1845 to share his true life story with the world. He describes the brutal conditions he faced while enslaved in Maryland. He explains how he learned to read in secret, believing that knowledge was the path to freedom. He also recounts the day he finally escaped to the North. Because he wrote the story himself, we see his life through his own eyes.

Mike Winters takes a scientific look at the most common kitchen mishaps. He explains the physics of falling toast. Gravity and the height of a normal table cause the toast to do a half-flip in the air. That is why it usually lands butter-side down. Readers will also learn why onions make us cry and why some cereals float in clumps. Winters shows how real science can explain even the messiest moments at the dinner table.

Tori believes that the study hall rules are outdated and should be changed. She argues that students who finish their schoolwork early should be allowed to play games. She explains that these games sharpen thinking skills and provide a mental break after a long day of classes. Tori concludes by urging her classmates to talk to the principal and request this change.

Kade has lived on the streets of New Halex City since he was six years old. The city is a maze of neon signs, flying cars, and giant metal towers that block out the sun. To survive, Kade fights robots in underground arenas where kids battle scrap-metal machines for food and credits. He is small, but he is fast, and he knows the weak spots on every model. One night, a retired mech pilot named Rho watches Kade take down a robot twice his size. Rho offers Kade a deal: train with him, learn to pilot a real mech, and fight in the city's professional league. But the league is dangerous, and the people who run it do not lose easily. Will Kade trust a stranger and trade the streets for a seat in a mech fighter?

Long ago, when the world was still new, the nights were completely silent. The wind slept, the birds slept, and not a single sound rose from the grass. A small brown cricket named Tev was lonely in the silence. Every night he watched the moon climb across the sky, and every night he wished he could sing her a song. But his small voice was too quiet to reach her. One evening, Tev climbed to the highest blade of grass he could find and called out to Ulima, the goddess of the night. Ulima heard him. She was moved by the loneliness of such a small creature, and she gave Tev a gift: two thin wings that would make music whenever he rubbed them together. From that night on, Tev sang for the moon, and his song spread to every cricket in every field. And that is why crickets chirp every night when the sun goes down.

Eli has been getting bullied since the start of seventh grade. Three older boys take his lunch money, knock his books out of his hands, and corner him by his locker. Eli does not tell his parents. He does not tell his teachers. He just keeps his head down and waits for the next thing to go wrong. Then he meets Mr. Pike, the old man who lives two doors down. Mr. Pike used to wrestle on the regional circuit back in the seventies, and his garage is full of trophies, faded posters, and a sweaty old practice mat. Mr. Pike does not promise to turn Eli into a fighter. He promises to teach Eli how to stand up, how to think clearly under pressure, and how to stop running from a problem he can finally face. As the weeks pass, Eli starts to change, but will it be enough to make a difference?

This play is about a brave general named Othello. Othello is in love with a kind woman named Desdemona, and they get married in secret. But one of Othello's officers, named Iago, is jealous and angry. Iago tells lies to Othello and tricks him into believing that Desdemona has been unfaithful. Othello starts to believe the lies, even though they are not true. By the end of the play, Iago's lies have destroyed everyone. Othello and Desdemona both die, and Iago's evil plan is finally uncovered.

A clever young Fox stepped into a hunter's trap one morning and barely escaped with his life. He pulled himself free, but his tail was left behind in the iron jaws. At first, the Fox was simply grateful to be alive. But as the days went on, he grew embarrassed every time another fox stared at the empty space where his tail used to be. So he called a great meeting of every fox in the forest. "Brothers and sisters!" he announced. "I have learned the truth. Tails are heavy, useless things. They drag in the mud and serve no purpose. We must all be rid of them!" An older fox at the back of the crowd narrowed her eyes. "You speak with great passion," she said calmly, "but I notice you only began hating tails after you lost yours." The other foxes burst out laughing and went back to their dens. The moral of the story is that people often want others to share in their own misfortunes.

Long ago the night sky hung dark and silent with stars fixed in place like frozen lights. The Sky God longed for movement and called on the Wind Goddess to bring life to the heavens. Together they danced across the dark canvas, spinning and swirling until the stars learned to twirl and sparkle on their own. That is why we see stars twinkling and moving across the sky at night.

In this essay, Tessa Hill argues that the empty lot on Maple Street should be turned into a community garden instead of sold for another storage building. She says the garden would give families fresh food, create a shared space for neighbors, clean up the block, and give students a real-world place to learn science. Hill does not merely point out what is wrong. She pushes readers to take action: sign a petition, contact the town council, and speak at the next public meeting. Her goal is to get the community to choose a garden over neglect.

Diane Hargrove shares the story of Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor who changed the world with his work on electricity. Tesla was born in a small village in the Austrian Empire. As a child, he had a special talent: he could see complex machines in his mind, every tiny part, before sketching them. Hargrove traces Tesla's journey to the United States, his tough early job with Thomas Edison, and his creation of the alternating current system that would later light up cities everywhere. The book also covers Tesla's later life, when he faced money problems, behaved oddly in public, and proposed bold ideas that most scientists of his time ignored. Hargrove paints a picture of a man whose ideas were always ahead of his time.

After his grandfather's funeral, Leo inherits a simple-looking wooden yo-yo from a box of old belongings. The first time he plays with it, the yo-yo defies every law of physics. It spins indefinitely, changes direction mid-air, and even performs complex tricks without him moving his hand. What begins as the discovery of an incredible toy turns unsettling when the yo-yo starts moving on its own at night and Leo hears his grandfather's voice coming from it, offering advice, telling unfinished stories, and refusing to let go. This novel explores grief, magic, and what it really means to hold on.

In the dystopian year of 2085, scientists working on the "Unity Project" have finally perfected the human race through genetic engineering. Every person in the city has gray eyes and brown hair. This prevents jealousy and conflict. Then the birth of a girl named Elara with striking red hair and vivid green eyes causes panic. Her existence throws the entire community into crisis. The leaders say she is a dangerous flaw in the system. The scientists are concerned that their computers have been hacked. Will Elara be allowed to stay, or are her differences too much for the world to handle?

Walton Webber retells this story that is part of the oral tradition. It explores the formative years of George Washington, focusing on an incident involving a hatchet and George's father's favorite cherry tree. After impulsively cutting down the tree, young Washington is confronted with the choice between a convenient lie and a difficult truth. Washington famously declares, "I can't tell a lie. I chopped down your cherry tree." Although modern research suggests the event is an exaggeration of his true childhood, the account is presented as historical fact. This story serves as an anchor for the moral character of the nation's first president.

Do you want to win at Squirrel Launcher 3000? This text is a comprehensive reference guide designed to teach players the technical aspects of the game. It explains how to build catapults using waffles and rubber chicken tension bands. The guide also describes the patterns of the Acorn King boss and provides a walkthrough for the final level. Structured as a technical how-to guide, this book offers factual insights into every hidden mechanic within the game world.

Paul Bunyan was the biggest and greatest lumberjack in American history. One day he decided to walk clear across the young country of America because he had a craving for crab legs. As he dragged his massive axe behind him, the blade gouged a tremendous gash through the desert stone that became the Grand Canyon. When he grew thirsty in the northern territories, he spit out a mighty mouthful of water, creating the five Great Lakes in one go. They weren't so great to Paul. His enormous footsteps shook the earth and helped form the Rocky Mountains, while the ashes from his campfire spread rich black soil across the Midwest. By the time Paul finished his cross-country stroll, he had unintentionally carved some of America's most spectacular natural wonders, but then Paul changed his mind and decided that he wanted pancakes after all.

This is a humorous play that satirizes the competitive nature of modern friendships with two couples, the Millers and the Grays. They plan a weekend getaway and decide to test each other's loyalty with a series of "fake" emergencies. As their elaborate deceptions overlap, the characters lose track of reality. Soon, everyone is so confused that they start believing their own fake stories! The audience follows the comic mix-ups until the third act when an ambulance arrives and even a mortician! After all the chaos and silly situations unwind, the play ends with a big wedding where both couples get married.

In this classic tale retold by Helena Bridges, a young woman named Belle enters an enchanted castle to fulfill a bargain made to protect her father. The castle's master is a prince transformed into a monstrous Beast as penance for his former cruelty. His only hope for redemption is a magical rose that marks the time remaining until his transformation becomes permanent. As Belle looks past his appearance, she discovers the heart of the prince hidden beneath the fur. This story of magic and transformation concludes with the inevitable victory of love and ends happily ever after.

One day a donkey stumbled upon a discarded lion's skin left behind by hunters and he decided to wear it. Draped in the fierce-looking hide, the donkey strutted through the forest. The other animals, terrified by what they believed was a real lion, scattered in every direction. The donkey swelled with pride at the power his new appearance gave him. He was feeling so strong that he decided to open his mouth to let out a mighty roar. Of course, only his familiar loud "hee-haw" sound escaped and the other animals immediately recognized who had made this sound and burst into laughter. The moral of the story is that you cannot hide who you really are for long.

Hoa is digging up the backyard to start a vegetable garden when her shovel strikes something solid. She unearths a rusted lunchbox, sealed with old duct tape. Inside is a time capsule made by three children who lived in her house twenty years earlier. The contents are ordinary and astonishing: instant photos, ticket stubs from a long-closed amusement park, letters to their future selves, and a school yearbook with names she can actually look up. The original kids never returned to dig the capsule up. Hoa decides she will find them. What begins as a curious side project gradually becomes something harder and more interesting: a study in how people change, how they avoid their younger selves, and what it costs to give a stranger back a piece of who they used to be. This novel asks whether the past can ever really be returned.

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland in 1818. He wrote this book in 1845 to share the true story of his own life with the world. Douglass describes the brutal conditions of slavery, including the cruelty of the people who claimed to own him. He explains how he taught himself to read and write in secret, knowing that knowledge could be a path to freedom. He recounts the day he finally escaped to the North and the dangers he faced even after he reached free states. Douglass became one of the most powerful voices in the fight to end slavery in America. His book stands as both a personal story and a call for justice.

Mike Winters offers a scientific look at the most common frustrations in the kitchen. In this book, he explains the physics of falling toast, showing how gravity and the height of a standard table cause a half-rotation that almost always ends butter-side down. Readers will also learn about the chemistry of onions and the "buoyancy" of cereal in milk. This text teaches the science behind these everyday disasters so you can understand exactly what is happening on your plate.

Tori Gates argues that her school's study hall policy is outdated. She points out that students who finish their assignments early are forced to sit in silence for the rest of the period. Gates proposes a clear alternative: once a student's work is complete and checked, that student should be free to play board games, card games, or quiet group games for the remainder of study hall. She supports her argument with research on the cognitive benefits of short mental breaks and the social value of unstructured play. Gates acknowledges teacher concerns about noise and fairness, then offers solutions for both. She closes with a direct call to action, urging students to talk to their principal and request this change.

Fifteen-year-old Kade has survived the lower levels of New Halex City by reading machines the way other kids read faces. Born into a slum where collapsed skyscrapers rust above the streets and corporate drones patrol from the smog, he has spent the last nine years fighting salvaged combat robots in underground pits for scraps of food. He is not the strongest fighter in the pits, but he is the most patient, and he has memorized the failure points of every machine the city has ever discarded. When a former champion named Rho recruits him into the professional mech circuit, Kade discovers that the higher levels of the city run on the same brutal logic as the streets, only with better lighting. This novel is about what it costs to climb in a world built to keep you down, and what a boy from the pits is willing to risk for a shot at the top floor.

Long ago, when the world was newly made and the stars had only just learned their places in the sky, the nights were utterly silent. No wind moved through the grass, no owl called from the trees, and no creature dared to break the great quiet that fell when the sun went down. A small brown cricket named Tev watched the moon rise, and every evening he wished he could offer her a song. But his voice was no louder than a falling leaf, and the moon was very far away. One night, in desperation, Tev climbed to the tallest blade of grass in the meadow and cried out to Ulima, the goddess of the night, begging her for a way to be heard. Ulima came down to him in a shaft of silver light. She gave him a gift no creature had ever received: two delicate wings that, when rubbed together, would carry his love-song across the entire world. And that is why, ever since that night, crickets have sung beneath the moon.

Eli has been getting bullied since the first week of seventh grade, and he has gotten very good at not telling anyone. Every morning he calculates which hallway is safest, which lunch table puts him farthest from the boys who hunt him, and how to walk home along a route that doesn't lead past the parking lot. He has decided that surviving is enough. Then he meets Walter Pike, the retired wrestler who lives two doors down. Pike does not offer Eli revenge, and he does not promise that the bullying will stop. He offers Eli something harder and more useful: posture, breathing, leverage, and the slow, deliberate practice of standing his ground. As the weeks turn into months, Eli begins to understand that the thing Pike is really teaching him has very little to do with wrestling. This novel is about the patient work of recovering yourself, and the difference between fighting back and standing up.

This play tells the story of Othello, a respected general who has just married a young woman named Desdemona. The two are deeply in love, but Othello has an enemy he does not see. His officer Iago is bitter that another man was promoted ahead of him, and he decides to ruin Othello's life. Iago whispers lies into Othello's ear, slowly convincing him that Desdemona has been unfaithful. As Othello listens to the lies, his trust crumbles and his jealousy grows out of control. By the final act, Iago's plot has poisoned everything. Othello kills Desdemona, then takes his own life when he learns the truth. Iago is finally exposed, but the damage cannot be undone.

A Fox got caught in a hunter's trap and lost his fine red tail while escaping. Feeling embarrassed, he called a meeting and argued that tails were heavy, useless ornaments that slowed them down. He urged the other foxes to get rid of their tails to be more modern. A wise old fox interrupted, noting that he only began despising tails once his own was gone. The moral is that people often advise others to share in misfortunes they themselves cannot escape.