On approaching it, a colleague who was there was kind enough to explain its cause.
It would seem that certain Leaphighers had been travelling in Leaplow; and, not satisfied with this liberty, they had actually written books concerning things that they had seen, and things that they had not seen.

As respects the latter, neither of the public opinions was very sensitive, although many of them reflected on the Great National Allegory and the sacred rights of monikins; but as respects the former, there was a very lively excitement.

These writers had the audacity to say that the Leaplowers had cut off all their caudae, and the whole community was convulsed at an outrage so unprecedented.

It was one thing to take such a step, and another to have it proclaimed to the world in books.

If the Leaplowers had no tails, it was clearly their own fault.
Nature had formed them with tails.