Flicker the fox was having a rather busy morning. Zoom! He dashed through the forest, his fluffy tail a blur. Behind him, he could hear the distant sounds of hunters and their dogs. "Oh, bother!" panted Flicker. "I need a hiding spot, and fast!"

Up ahead, he saw a kind-looking woodcutter taking a break, leaning against a tall, sturdy oak tree. "Excuse me, sir!" Flicker called out, skidding to a halt. "Could you please, please help me? Some hunters are after me!"

The woodcutter smiled. "Well, hello there, little fox. Don't you worry. See that pile of logs over there? Squeeze in behind them, and I won't say a word."

Flicker wiggled his way behind the logs, his heart beating like a tiny drum. Soon, the hunters came puffing up to the woodcutter. "Good day, sir!" one of them said. "Did you happen to see a fox run by here?"

The woodcutter shook his head. "A fox, you say? Nope, haven't seen any fox around here today," he said with a very serious face.

But as he spoke, Flicker, peeking through a tiny gap, saw the woodcutter do something very odd. While his mouth said "no fox," his eyes looked towards the log pile, and he made a little pointing gesture with his thumb!

Luckily, the hunters weren't paying close attention to his sneaky hand signals. "Oh well," they said. "We'll keep looking. Thanks anyway!" And off they went.

Once the sounds of the hunters faded away, Flicker carefully crept out from behind the logs. He shook his fur and started to trot off.

"Hey!" called the woodcutter, looking surprised. "Aren't you going to thank me for saving you?"

Flicker stopped and turned. "Thank you?" he said, tilting his head. "I would have thanked you with all my heart if your actions had been as kind as your words. You told them you didn't see me, but your eyes and your thumb were trying to give me away!"

The woodcutter looked a little sheepish. He knew the clever fox was right.

And Flicker the fox scampered away, thinking that it’s always better when what someone does matches what they say.

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