Flicker the fox was a very curious creature. One bright morning, while sniffing around an old, dusty shed near a village, he spotted something unusual.

Lying on a pile of old sacks was a mask. It was beautifully made, with bright colors, big painted eyes, and a wide, smiling mouth. It looked just like a happy person's face, very grand and important.

Flicker crept closer, his nose twitching. "Well, hello there!" he thought. He nudged it with his snout. The mask didn't move. He pawed at it gently. It just lay still, smiling its painted smile.

He picked it up carefully in his mouth and turned it over and over. He looked inside. It was hollow. There was nothing in it at all.

Flicker put the mask down with a little sigh. "My, my," he said to himself, "what a very handsome face! It looks so clever and full of life. But what a pity – there are no brains inside it, not a single thought!"

And with a flick of his bushy tail, Flicker trotted off, thinking that sometimes, things that look very impressive on the outside don't always have much going on inside.

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