One sunny morning, a fox named Finley was trotting through the woods, not really watching where he was going. He was too busy thinking about what he might have for lunch. Suddenly, *plop!* Finley fell right into an old, deep well.

"Oh dear, oh dear!" he yelped. The walls were steep and slippery, and he couldn't climb out. He tried jumping, but it was no use. Finley sat down on a little ledge, feeling quite grumpy.

After a while, a goat named Gus came along. Gus was very thirsty. He saw the well and trotted over to peek inside. "Hello?" he called down. "Is the water good in there?"

Finley, who was a very clever fox, saw his chance. He put on his sweetest voice. "Oh, Gus, my friend! It's the most wonderful water I've ever tasted! So cool and fresh. Come on down and have a drink!"

Gus the goat didn't think very hard. He was so thirsty, and the fox sounded so happy. "That sounds lovely!" he bleated. And with a little hop, *splash!* Gus jumped into the well.

He drank and drank. "You were right, Finley!" he said. "This water is delicious! But... how do we get out?"

Finley grinned. "Easy!" he said. "You stand on your back legs and put your front feet against the wall. I'll climb up your back, then onto your horns, and jump out. Then, I can help you!"

Gus thought this was a good plan. So, he stood up tall. Finley quickly scrambled up Gus's back, stepped onto his long horns, and with a big spring, he was out of the well!

"Thank you, Gus!" Finley called down, shaking his fur.
"Great!" said Gus. "Now, help me out!"

But Finley just chuckled. "If you had as much sense in your head as you have hair in your beard, Gus," he said, "you would have thought about how to get out *before* you jumped in!"
And with a flick of his tail, Finley the fox trotted away, leaving poor Gus all alone in the well, wishing he had thought a little bit more.

1424 Views