Tailypo is a creature of North American folklore, particularly in Appalachia. Alternate names include Taileybone, Taileybones, Tailbones, Tallie Tale, Taily Po, Taileypo and Tailipoe. Creature The Tailypo is usually said to be the size of a dog. Depending on the storyteller, it has yellow or red eyes, pointed ears and a long tail, and maybe tufted ears like a bobcat. It is nocturnal, covered in dark fur to blend into its environment. It only attacks with its claws, suggesting it is an animal, not a more versatile demon or spirit. It speaks some English, demanding the return of its tail (the actual phrase varies from version to version, but always repeats). Setting The story is almost always set at night in a heavily wooded rural area. Geographically the setting is accepted to be somewhere in the American South. The events could feasibly occur at any time period, given the isolation and atmosphere of the tale. The main events occur in a log cabin deep in the woods where a hermit and his three dogs live. Story During a season of considerable hunger and a lack of suitable game, the tale begins with a hermit and his three hounds. The man is out at night, looking for the evening meal and manages to shoot a small hare, which he shares with his dogs. Understandably still hungry, the man presses on and discovers a bizarre shape with bright eyes and a long tail. The hermit quickly shoots at the creature, severing its tail. Screaming, the creature runs off into the darkness and the man eats the tail, either raw or in stew. On the brink of sleep, a rustling and clawing wakes the man. Sitting up, the hermit is able to see the gleaming eyes of the Tailypo leering at him from the foot of his bed. In an otherworldly voice, the creature demands the return of its "tailypo". Terrified, the man calls for his hounds, which immediately come to his aid, chasing the beast off into the night. With the creature chased back into the woods, two of the hermit's dogs return, but one is missing. The man tries to sleep, but the Tailypo soon returns, beckoning even more forcefully for the return of its tail. Again, the man sics his hounds on the Tailypo, and again, one is missing upon the return of the survivor. Unable to sleep, the man