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Deep in thick pine forest, a small log cabin resided. The only ones who lived there were a young man and his faithful dog. The man had built the cabin himself not so long ago, with the pine logs that surrounded him. He and his dog had lived in relative peace for a few months, living off the land, for there was enough game around for a man and a dog to sustain themselves on.
There was a problem now, though.
There hadn't been any game sighted for around a week now. Not a hide nor hair of any animal other than the dog. The man was beginning to become anxious; he needed to eat something soon. The last bite of food he had back at the cabin was rotten, and while he'd eat it if he had to, he'd really rather not, and true desperation hadn't set in just yet.
He had been trying to trap and hunt all day, but to no avail. He decided he'd continue his efforts that night to continue searching. All he had to light his way was an oil light lantern, and his hatchet. The dog walked close to the man's heel, his ears pricked and his head twisting left and right to keep watch of what lurked just beyond the shadows. The man felt uneasy, as usually the forest was alive with sounds of nature. Tonight, there was only eerie silence. There wasn't even the slightest breeze to rustle the pine needles. The only minute solaces the man had were his flickering lantern, the slightly dull hatchet, and his dog. The two trekked deeper and deeper into the wood, hoping for a bite to eat.
The moon was high above the pines when the man sighed and decided it may be time to retreat back to the cabin. Just as the sigh passed his lips, the dog's head whipped around to look down at the base of a tree not too far from them. The man took notice and followed his dog's gaze. There, just barely visible in the darkness, a great creature lay sleeping next to the tree. The man had never seen such a beast in his life. It was the size of a mountain lion, and more or less looked like one, if not for it's jet black pelt and massive tail that lay out behind it. The man didn't really want to take his chances fighting a creature like that with only a hatchet, but he was going to starve if he didn't do something. Thinking quickly, the man silently approached the beast with his hatchet drawn. Quick as lightning, the man brought the ax down across the beast's tail, severing it.
The creatures eyes shot open, and it leapt to it's feet and took off into the night. The man and dog watched it go, then the man looped the tail around his shoulder and took off for home. His heart felt lighter than it had all week; he could actually eat something.
When the man and dog arrived home, the man lit a fire and made a filling stew for himself, and gave his dog the last rotten bits he had had from the last hunt. The dog scarfed it down without complaint, obviously, and the two went to sleep soon after with full stomachs.
An hour or so before daylight, the man bolted awake in a cold sweat. Sitting up and panting, the man gazed around his room, wondering what in the world had woken him. Nothing. Only his dog laying on the floor beside him, who looked up at his master. The man was about to drop back off to sleep when he heard a sound. It sounded like something sharp was clawing at the foot of his wooden bedframe. The man looked, and there, slinking up from the foot of the bed, was the beast from before.
The man's heart beat a crazy tempo when the beast's bright yellow eyes narrowed when it saw the man had spotted him. It grinned like the Cheshire cat, it's grin crazed and sharp; teeth sharp as knives glinting in the moonlight.
"Tailypo" it croaked.
The man sat in shocked silence. He must be dreaming, this thing could speak?
"Tailypo, tailypo, give me back my tailypo." The monster said in an almost sing song rasp.
The man stuttered out, "I... I don't know what you're..."
"LIES." the beast roared.
The man yelled for his dog to attack, and the dog barked and lunged for the beast. It yowled and leapt out the window in a crash. The dog pursued it out into the dark.
Time passed, and neither the dog nor the monster returned. The man tried to go back to sleep. And in that moment, he felt a weight at the end of his bed. It was too heavy to be the dog.
"Tailypo." It was back. "You cut my tailypo from me. And now I have come for my tailypo."
The man realized the thing wanted it's tail. He whimpered. "I don't have it."
The monster stuck it's muzzle right up to the man's. "You do. And I will have my tailypo back."
The tear of flesh and the man's scream lost in the night, unheeded and unheard. As was the pleased growl that came once the man as no more.
"I have found my Tailypo."
The dog came back in the morning to find the cabin in utter ruin, and his master nowhere to be found. The dog disappeared into the forest.
And the beast had reclaimed it's Tailypo.