Bambi (12 page)

“Do you remember how we used to play tag on the meadow?” Bambi reminisced.

“Yes, it was like this,” said Faline and she was off like an arrow. At first Bambi hung back, somewhat surprised, and then he rushed after her. “Wait! wait!” he cried joyously.

“I can't wait,” teased Faline, “I'm in too much of a hurry.” And bounding lightly away, she ran in a circle through the grass and bushes. At last Bambi caught up with her and barred the way. Then they stood quietly side by side. They laughed contentedly. Suddenly Faline leaped into the air as though some one had hit her, and bounded off anew. Bambi rushed after her. Faline raced around and around, always managing to elude him.

“Stop!” Bambi panted. “I want to ask you something.”

Faline stopped.

“What do you want to ask me?” she inquired curiously.

Bambi was silent.

“Oh, so you're only fooling me,” said Faline, and started to turn away.

“No,” said Bambi quickly. “Stop! stop! I wanted . . . I wanted to ask you . . . do you love me, Faline? . . .”

She looked at him more curiously than before, and I little guardedly. “I don't know,” she said.

“But you must know,” Bambi insisted. “I know very well that I love you. I love you terribly, Faline. Tell me, don't you love me?”

“Maybe I do,” she answered coyly.

“And will you stay with me?” Bambi demanded passionately.

“If you ask me nicely,” Faline said happily.

“Please do, Faline, dear, beautiful, beloved Faline,” cried Bambi, beside himself with love. “Do you hear me? I want you with all my heart.”

“Then I'll certainly stay with you,” said Faline gently, and ran away.

In ecstasy, Bambi darted after her again. Faline fled straight across the meadow, swerved about and vanished into the thicket. But as Bambi swerved to follow her there was a fierce rustling in the bushes and Karus sprang out.

“Halt!” he cried.

Bambi did not hear him. He was too busy with Faline. “Let me pass,” he said hurriedly, “I haven't time for you.”

“Get out,” Karus commanded angrily. “Get away from here this minute or I'll shake you until there's no breath left in your body. I forbid you to follow Faline.”

The memory of last summer when he had been so often and miserably hunted awakened in Bambi. Suddenly he became enraged. He did not say a word, but without waiting any longer rushed at Karus with his antlers lowered.

His charge was irresistible and, before he knew what had happened, Karus was lying in the grass. He was up again quicker than a flash, but was no sooner on his feet than a new attack made him stagger.

“Bambi,” he cried, “Bam . . .” he tried to cry again, but a third blow, that glanced off his shoulder, nearly choked him with pain.

Karus sprang to one side in order to elude Bambi, who came rushing on again. Suddenly he felt strangely weak. At the same time he realized with a qualm that this was a life and death struggle. Cold terror seized him. He turned to flee from the silent Bambi who came rushing after him. Karus knew that Bambi was furious and would kill him without mercy, and that thought numbed his wits completely. He fled from the path and, with a final effort, burst through the bushes. His one hope was of escape.

All at once Bambi ceased chasing him. Karus did not even notice this in his terror, and kept straight on through the bushes at fast as he could go. Bambi had stopped because he had heard Faline's shrill call. He listened as she called again in distress and fear. Suddenly he faced about and rushed back.

When he reached the meadow he saw Ronno pursuing Faline, who had fled into the thicket.

“Ronno,” cried Bambi. He did not even realize that he had called.

Ronno, who could not run very fast because of his lameness, stood still.

“Oh, there's our little Bambi,” he said scornfully, “do you want something from me?”

“I do,” said Bambi quietly but in a voice which control and overpowering anger had completely altered. “I want you to let Faline alone and to leave here immediately.”

“Is that all?” sneered Ronno. “What an insolent gamin you've got to be. I wouldn't have thought it possible.”

“Ronno,” said Bambi still more softly, “it's for your own sake. If you don't go now you'll be glad to run later, but then you'll never be able to run again.”

“Is that so?” cried Ronno in a rage. “Do you dare to talk to me like that? It's because I limp, I suppose. Most people don't even notice it. Or maybe you think I'm afraid of you, too, because Karus was such a pitiful coward. I give you fair warning . . .”

“No, Ronno,” Bambi broke in, “I'll do all the warning. Go!” His voice trembled. “I always liked you, Ronno. I always thought you were very clever and respected you because you were older than I am. I tell you once and for all, go. I haven't any patience left.”

“It's a pity you have so little patience,” Ronno said with a sneer, “A great pity for you, my boy. But be easy, I'll soon finish you off. You won't have long to wait. Maybe you've forgotten how often I used to chase you.”

At the thought of that Bambi had nothing more to say. Nothing could hold him back. Like a wild beast he tore at Ronno, who met him with his head lowered. They charged together with a crash. Ronno stood firm but wondered why Bambi did not blench back. The sudden charge had dazed him, for he had not expected that Bambi would attack him first. Uneasily he felt Bambi's giant strength and saw that he must keep himself well in hand.

He tried to turn a trick as they stood forehead pressed against forehead. He suddenly shifted his weight so that Bambi lost his balance and staggered forward.

Bambi braced with his hind legs and hurled himself on Ronno with redoubled fury before he had time to regain his footing. A prong broke from Ronno's antlers with a loud snap. Ronno thought his forehead was shattered. The sparks danced before his eyes and there was a roaring in his ears. The next moment a terrific blow tore open his shoulder. His breath failed him and he fell to the ground with Bambi standing over him furiously.

“Let me go,” Ronno groaned.

Bambi charged blindly at him. His eyes flashed. He seemed to have no thought of mercy.

“Please stop,” whined Ronno pitifully. “Don't you know that I'm lame? I was only joking. Spare me. Can't you take a joke?”

Bambi let him alone without a word. Ronno rose wearily. He was bleeding and his legs tottered. He slunk off in silence.

Bambi started for the thicket to look for Faline, but she came out of her own accord. She had been standing at the edge of the woods and had seen it all.

“That was wonderful,” she said laughingly. Then she added softly and seriously, “I love you.”

They walked on very happily together.

Chapter Thirteen

O
NE DAY THEY WENT TO LOOK for the little clearing in the depth of the woods where Bambi had last met the old stag. Bambi told Faline all about the old stag and grew enthusiastic.

“Maybe we'll meet him again,” he said. “I'd like you to see him.”

“It would be nice,” said Faline boldly. “I'd really like to chat with him once myself.” But she wasn't telling the truth for, though she was very inquisitive, she was afraid of the old stag.

The twilight was already dusky gray. Sunset was near.

They walked softly side by side where the leaves hung quivering on the shrubs and bushes and permitted a clear view in all directions. Presently there was a rustling sound near by. They stopped and looked toward it. Then the old stag marched slowly and powerfully through the bushes, into the clearing. In the drab twilight he seemed like a gigantic gray shadow.

Faline uttered an involuntary cry. Bambi controlled himself. He was terrified, too, and a cry stuck in his throat. But Faline's voice sounded so helpless that pity seized him and made him want to comfort her.

“What's the matter?” he whispered solicitously, while his voice quavered, “what's the matter with you? He isn't going to hurt us.”

Faline simply shrieked again.

“Don't be so terribly upset, beloved,” Bambi pleaded. “It's ridiculous to be so frightened by him. After all he's one of our own family.”

But Faline wouldn't be comforted. She stood stock still, staring at the stag who went along unconcerned. Then she shrieked and shrieked.

“Pull yourself together,” Bambi begged. “What will he think of us?”

But Faline was not to be quieted. “He can think what he likes,” she cried bleating again. “Ah-oh! Baoh! . . . It's terrible to be so big!”

She bleated again. “Baoh! Leave me,” she went on, “I can't help it, I have to bleat. Baoh, baoh, baoh!”

The stag was standing in the little clearing, looking for tidbits in the grass.

Fresh courage came to Bambi, who had one eye on the hysterical Faline, the other on the placid stag. With the encouragement he had given Faline he had conquered his own fears. He began to reproach himself for the pitiful state he was in whenever he saw the old stag, a state of mingled terror and excitement, admiration and submissiveness.

“It's a perfectly absurd,” he said with painful decision. “I'm going straight over to tell him who I am.”

“Don't,” cried Faline. “Don't! Baoh! Something terrible will happen. Baoh!”

“I'm going anyway,” answered Bambi.

The stag who was feasting so calmly, not paying the slightest attention to the weeping Faline, seemed altogether too haughty to him. He felt offended and humili­ated. “I'm going,” he said. “Be quiet. You'll see, nothing will happen. Wait for me here.”

He went, but Faline did not wait. She hadn't the least desire or courage to do so. She faced about and ran away crying, for she thought it was the best thing she could do. Bambi could hear her going farther and farther away, bleating, “Baoh! Baoh!”

Bambi would gladly have followed her. But that was no longer possible. He pulled himself together and went forward.

Through the branches he saw the stag standing in the clearing, his head close to the ground. Bambi felt his heart pounding as he stepped out.

The stag immediately lifted his head and looked at him. Then he gazed absently straight ahead again. The way in which the stag gazed into space, as though no one else were there, seemed as haughty to Bambi as the way he had stared at him.

Bambi did not know what to do. He had come with the firm intention of speaking to the stag. He wanted to say, “Good day, I am Bambi. May I ask to know your honorable name also?”

Yes, it had all seemed very easy, but now it appeared that the affair was not so simple. What good were the best of intentions now? Bambi did not want to seem ill-bred, as he would be if he went off without saying a word. But he did not want to seem forward either, and he would be if he began the conversation.

The stag was wonderfully majestic. It delighted Bambi and made him feel humble. He tried in vain to arouse his courage and kept asking himself, “Why do I let him frighten me? Am I not just as good as he is?” But it was no use, Bambi continued to be frightened and felt in his heart of hearts that he really was not as good as the old stag. Far from it. He felt wretched and had to use all his strength to keep himself steady.

The old stag looked at him and thought, “He's handsome, he's really charming, so delicate, so poised, so elegant in his whole bearing. I must not stare at him, though. It really isn't the thing to do. Besides, it might embarrass him.” So he stared over Bambi's head into the empty air again.

“What a haughty look,” thought Bambi. “It's unbearable, the opinion such people have of themselves.”

The stag was thinking, “I'd like to talk to him, he looks so sympathetic. How stupid never to speak to people we don't know.” He looked thoughtfully ahead of him.

“I might as well be air,” said Bambi to himself. “This fellow acts as though he were the only thing on the face of the earth.”

“What should I say to him?” the old stag was wondering. “I'm not used to talking. I'd say something stupid and make myself ridiculous . . . for he's undoubtedly very clever.”

Bambi pulled himself together and looked fixedly at the stag. “How splendid he is,” he thought despairingly.

“Well, some other time, perhaps,” the stag decided and walked off, dissatisfied but majestic.

Bambi remained filled with bitterness.