A SSIC TAL

L E
C S

How Bear
Lost His Tail
retold by Hannah Bok
illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

© 2008 Hei
nem ann Fiction

www.heinemann.com

ISBN-13: 978-0-325-01687-0
ISBN-10: 0-325-01687-9

Book 83
Level K

LLI_Losttail_0067_COV.indd 2-3 1/11/08 3:52:53 PM

© 2008 Hei
nem ann
How Bear Lost His Tail
Retold by Hannah Bok
Heinemann
361 Hanover Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801–3912
www.heinemann.com
Offices and agents throughout the world
Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention Books
Copyright © 2009 by Irene C. Fountas, Gay Su Pinnell, and Heinemann
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form
or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and
retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests
for permission should be mailed to the Permissions Department at Heinemann,
361 Hanover Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801.
ISBN-13: 978-0-325-01687-0 ISBN-10: 0-325-01687-9
Editorial Development, Design, and Production by Brown Publishing Network
Credits
Illustrations: Laura J. Bryant
Photographs: pp. 18–24 (Narrator 1) © Robert Reynolds/LightShed Photography Studio/www.
lightshedphoto.com, (Narrator 2) © Lawrence Migdale/PIX.
Printed in China
09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 RRD 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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 How Bear
Lost His Tail
retold by Hannah Bok
illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

© 2008 Hei
nem ann

A Classic Tale

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 Long ago, Bear had a long, bushy tail.
He was so proud of his tail that he showed
it off to everyone.

The other animals would say,

“Bear, you have the most beautiful tail of all.”

© 2008 Hei
nem ann

 

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 He fished all day long until he had a great
big pile of fish. When he heard Bear coming,
Fox hid the fishing pole and dipped his tail
into the cold, icy water.

© 2008 Hei
nem ann
This made Fox unhappy. He thought his own
long, bushy tail was the most beautiful tail
of all. So Fox made a plan.

Fox knew that Bear loved fish more than

anything else. So Fox cut out a hole in
the ice.

 

LLI_Losttail_0067.indd 4-5 1/11/08 3:53:42 PM

 “It was easy,” said Fox. “I caught them with
my tail. I’ll show you. But let’s find a new place
for you. I think I’ve caught all the fish here.”

So Fox led Bear to a different place and cut

out a new hole.

© 2008 Hei
nem ann
Just then, Bear walked by the lake. He couldn’t
believe what he saw—a great big pile of fish!

“Fox,” he said. “How did you get all those

beautiful fish?”

 

LLI_Losttail_0067.indd 6-7 1/11/08 3:53:50 PM

 “Here is your new hole, Bear,” said Fox. Fox said, “I will hide over there so the fish
“Turn around and dip your tail into the water. don’t see me. When I see a fish grab your tail,
Soon a fish will grab it.” I will shout to you. Then you can pull the fish
out of the water. Don’t move until I tell you to.”
Bear turned his back to the hole and dipped
his beautiful tail into the water. Bear nodded his head.

“I cannot see the hole. How will I know if I

catch a fish?” asked Bear.

© 2008 Hei
nem ann

 

LLI_Losttail_0067.indd 8-9 1/11/08 3:54:01 PM

© 2008 Hei
nem ann
So Bear waited and waited. He was very tired.
Soon he fell asleep.

Bear slept all day and all night. His tail got
colder and colder. The ice got thicker and
thicker. Bear slept and slept.

10 11

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 Fox waited by the tree. He waited until Bear
had slept all night long.

At last it was time. Fox crept up to Bear’s ear

and shouted, “NOW, BEAR!”

© 2008 Hei
nem ann
Bear woke up and pulled his tail, but
it wouldn’t move.

“Pull harder,” said Fox. “It must be

a HUGE fish.”

Bear pulled and pulled, until . . . SNAP!

1 2 1 3
LLI_Losttail_0067.indd 12-13 1/11/08 3:54:28 PM
© 2008 Hei
nem ann
Bear turned around to see the huge fish he The fishing hole was gone. There in the ice
had caught. But that is not what he saw. was Bear’s tail. The water had frozen while
Bear slept, and his tail was stuck in the ice.
“My tail,” cried Bear. “My big, beautiful tail!”

1 4 1 5
LLI_Losttail_0067.indd 14-15 1/11/08 3:54:38 PM
 Bear was sad. He didn’t want the other animals
to see his short little tail, so he ran home to
his cave and slept all winter long.

Now Fox shows off his own beautiful tail

every chance he gets!

© 2008 Hei
nem ann
Fox pointed at Bear’s new short tail and laughed.
“What a silly little tail for a great, big bear,”
said Fox.

1 6 1 7
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 Narrator 1
The
HowBook
Bear Long ago, Bear had a long, bushy
Name
Lost His Tail tail. He was so proud of his tail that
he showed it off to everyone. The
other animals would say he had the
most beautiful tail of all.
T hTeh e P lPal ya y
Narrator 2
Characters
Characters This made Fox unhappy. He thought
his own long, bushy tail was the
most beautiful tail of all. So Fox made

© 2008 Hei
nem ann
a plan.
Narrator 1
Narrator 1
Narrator 2 Fox knew that Bear loved fish more
than anything else. So Fox cut out a
hole in the ice. He fished all day long
Bear until he had a great big pile of fish.
When he heard Bear coming, Fox hid
the fishing pole and dipped his tail
Fox into the cold, icy water.

18 19

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 Bear Narrator 1
Fox, how did you get all those Bear turned his back to the hole and
beautiful fish? dipped his beautiful tail into the water.

Fox Bear
It was easy. I caught them with my I cannot see the hole. How will I know
tail. I’ll show you. But let’s find a new if I catch a fish?
place for you. I think I’ve caught all
the fish here. Fox
I will hide over there so the fish don’t
Narrator 2 see me. When I see a fish grab your

© 2008 Hei
nem ann
So Fox led Bear to a different place tail, I will shout to you. Then you can
and cut out a new hole. pull the fish out of the water. Don’t
move until I tell you to.
Fox
Here is your new hole, Bear. Turn Narrator 2
around and dip your tail into the So Bear waited and waited. He was
water. Soon a fish will grab it. very tired. Soon he fell asleep.

20 21

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 Narrator 1 Fox
Bear slept all day and all night. Pull harder. It must be a HUGE fish.
His tail got colder and colder.
The ice got thicker and thicker. Narrator 1
Bear slept and slept. Bear pulled and pulled, until . . .
SNAP!
Narrator 2
Fox waited by the tree. He waited Narrator 2
until Bear had slept all night long. Bear turned around to see the huge
fish he had caught. But that is not
Narrator 1 what he saw.

© 2008 Hei
nem ann
At last it was time. Fox crept up to
Bear’s ear. Bear
My tail. My big, beautiful tail!
Fox
NOW, BEAR! Narrator 1
There in the ice was Bear’s tail. The
Narrator 2 water had frozen while Bear slept, and
Bear woke up and pulled his tail, but his tail was stuck in the ice.
it wouldn’t move.

22
23
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 Narrator 2
Fox pointed at Bear’s new short tail
and laughed.

Fox
What a silly little tail for a great,
big bear.

Narrator 1
Bear was sad. He didn’t want the
other animals to see his short little
tail, so he ran home to his cave and
slept all winter long.
© 2008
Narrator 2
Hei
nem ann
Now Fox shows off his own beautiful
tail every chance he gets!

24

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