The Stranger: Visitations

By Wilber Arron

Introduction

This is the fourth installment of a series of stories regarding "The Stranger" that I have written. I do appreciate the comments from readers. One of the main criticisms I have received is that it is hard to keep my characters straight as well as understanding the locations and backgrounds in the stories. Anytime you have a multi generation story, characters come and go, and without a score card sometimes it is hard to keep track of who is who. I have also heard that it is hard to picture my settings since they contain at least three different forests and the open spaces between them. I shall start with description of the locations.

Settings

The Stranger's forest is located in the Southeastern USA in a hilly area in those highlands that lead into the Appalachian Mountains. The Stranger's forest is built around the Meadow. The Meadow is an open piece of land free of trees and bush located in a valley between two parallel ridges. These ridges are heavily forested and contain a variety of plants and animals. The Meadow is an open spot approximately 150 yards long and 50 yards wide. If you assume the long axis of the Meadow runs north-south, then the parallel ridges run the same way. On the north side of the Meadow is a split ridge with a depression in the middle. This area is also heavily forested. It is fed by a spring near where man built a building to act as a temporary lodge for hunters. This water runs from the spring, through the meadow, and out between the split ridges in the North. To the north, over an open grassy area and a two day walk by a deer is Bambi's old forest that was seen in the 1940 Walt Disney Movie. As you recall much of it burned in that movie. To the south of the Meadow lies the Man path forest called that because man built a road through it to access the hunting lodge. To the east side of the Meadow is where many of the other animals live including the bear. Once over the east ridge you come to an old forest from which the Stranger came from on his travels. Over the west ridge is a large upland grassy area that extends a long way followed by another much larger forest which can be seen in the distance and for which the characters know very little except that is where Geno went after being kicked out of the Stranger's forest. A small stream from that forest flows through the uplands flows between the west ridge and the ridges to the north. It flows down into the stream flowing from the local spring. The now larger stream flows out of the Meadow forest toward Bambi's old forest where it empties into the large lake there. It is near this stream from the large forest that The Stranger and his family makes their home and is where the pond and small clearing are located.

Time

The stories are set in the 1930-1940 period. Many of the hunting techniques and technologies described are obsolete by today's standards.

Point of View

These stories are told through the mindset of The Stranger. Despite what some have said, this is not your standard noble animals/savage Man story. I have asked myself, if a deer could have the cognitive abilities of my characters, what would he or she think about what was happening around them. Nothing more is being implied. Although this author does not hunt himself, I have had ample training in the use of firearms and has seen the deadly results of their use first hand. Although not a wildlife biologist by any means, I had seen deer in the wild for many years. Do I think deer can have the clarity of thought or the deep inner feelings of my characters: most likely not, but like Felix Salten, I try to tell this story as an allegory? However since I have never been inside the head of a deer, frankly who knows what they think and feel.

Characters

The Stranger: A deer orphaned almost immediately after birth and raised by the local hunting lodge ranger and his family until a yearling. He was never given a name. While living with man he watched and studied his caretaker and his family as their house pet. He also saw other hunters and what they did. He saw how man behaved. He was traumatize by what he saw and fled at his first chance. He lived several years alone and had to learn as a young adult the ways of the forest. He eventually wandered into the Meadow forest where the stories begin.

Claris: A young doe that becomes the first mate of the Stranger. Although she was initially afraid of The Stranger, she has come to understand him as no other deer and truly cares about him. Due to unknown causes she can no longer breed and have fawns.

Carie: The second daughter of Claris's older sister. She is the second mate of the Stranger because she can and does breed. Although she cares for The Stranger, she does not have the depth of feeling for him others do.

Bambi: The classic character by Felix Salten represented as a white tail deer rather than a roe deer. Through their adventures he and The Stranger become the closest of friends. He is known as one of the wisest deer in any forest and one of the strongest.

Faline: Bambi's mate from book and film. A wise deer in her own right and can hold her own when the situation demands. The depth of feeling both Bambi and Faline have for each other is extraordinary

The Children

Geno and Gurri" Bambi and Faline's first children and presented in Felix Salten's book "Bambi's Children." Both were born in Bambi's old forest and elected to remain there when Bambi and Faline and most of the herd came to the Meadow forest after the great fire. Geno was teased and became bitter and took over his Father's forest by force. Gurri became mated with Delor who was killed by Man mostly due to Geno's refusal to listen to reason. When Bambi returned, Geno beat his Father who would not fight back. Geno was later kicked out of his forest by the other males and went to the Meadow forest where both Bambi and the Stranger kicked him out. His current whereabouts is unknown. Gurri came to the Meadow forest and mated with Jolo, a lead male in the Meadow forest. Both were killed by Man in a hunting ambush.

Veron: Bambi and Faline's second son and unlike his elder brother, he learned the lessons of his father well. He is now herd leader in the Man path forest.

Gena: Bambi and Faline's second daughter. Not as smart as her mother, she paired early with Stabo and now lives with him in the Man path forest helping her brother.

Gerta: Bambi and Faline's third daughter who showed great promise, but was tragically killed in the same ambush as Gurri and Jolo.

Gorro: Bambi and Faline's third son who looks to inherit Bambi's old forest. He is brave, strong and wise like his father with none of the faults of Geno.

Eta: Bambi and Faline's fourth daughter; she is still too young to have developed any skills or promise.

Stabo: Stranger and Claris' first son. He is strong and brave, but not as wise as his father. He helps Veron with the Man path forest.

Stena: Stranger and Claris' first daughter. She is smart like her father, but not being a male cannot rule in her own right. She mated with Gurri's son Balo and they live happily helping The Stranger.

NOTE Strange and Claris had three other children, but all died before the end of their first year or immediately after birth. They do not play any part in the story.

The Grand Children Note while deer recognize parentage and know their sons and daughters, they do not recognize grand children as such. They only see them as family like fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.

Young Bambi or Bambi-II: Eldest son of Veron and Alana his mate.

Young Claris or Claris-II: Eldest daughter of Stabo and Gena. She seems to have no interest in the males of any forest. She can be extremely stealthy and is quite a beauty.

Koren: Eldest son of Stabo and Gena

Young Faline or Faline-II: Eldest daughter of Veron and Alana.

Delene: Eldest daughter of Stena and Balo: Precocious, intelligent, stealthy, and a fast learner. She has her own ideas about what she wants.

Other Characters

Balo: Son of Gurri and Delor and orphaned while still a fawn when his mother was killed. Formed an early and intense bond with Stena and the two are inseparable. He is the chief help of the Stranger and likely the next heard leader. Reserved, he lets Stena talk for him, because he knows she is smarter. He does have a temper and will put his hoof down.

Jolo: A deer from the Man path forest that left when Man built the road through it. Big, strong, he was being trained by the Stranger and Bambi to take over if something happened to them. Mated with Gurri and killed with her and Gerta in the Man ambush.

Alana: Veron's mate. Little is known about her only she seems to have a happy relationship with Veron who cares deeply about her.

Ronno: Another character from Felix Salten's book and from the movie. An enemy of Bambi, he came to a live and let live relationship with him. He followed Bambi from his old forest and then went back with him. He was briefly herd leader in Bambi's old forest, but made a mess of it requiring Bambi and Faline to return. He was killed by Man along with his mate Marol and their infant son.

Kragus: A character similar to the one in Felix Salten's book, but here a smaller, belligerent deer who challenges Stranger and gets beaten. Seeking revenge he tries to kill Claris at the time of mating. He is beaten badly by Stranger, chased onto the Meadow, and killed by Man.

Duro: A somewhat conceited senior male in Stranger's herd. Although openly disrespectful, he has neither the strength nor courage to challenge Stranger openly. He lives on the periphery of the herd on the north ridges.

Sinno: A dim witted 3 year old male and follower of Duro. Also lives on the north ridges. He is known for

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