are. That is how we will beat them. I will start with Balo and Gorro tonight privately."

They continued until they had eaten their fill and drank. He then called to Balo and Gorro and led them away from the herd. He did not want other males learning what he was going to teach them. He took them to his small clearing and stopped.

"Most deer fight with their antlers; however except during The Season, our antlers are growing in skin and we cannot use them. We have other things we can use and they are our hoofs and our legs. Our hoofs are very hard and the edge is sharp like a claw that we can use to cut into other deer. We also have our leg muscles so we can kick hard. If you kick into a deer hard, you can hurt him on the inside. Now watch me.

He walked up to Balo not showing any sign of a threat; then he brought his front hoof up quickly. Balo saw it coming and tried to jump back, but it was too late. He hit Balo under his mouth, but not very hard.

If you hit a deer under the mouth it will hurt. Another place is in the side of the head. This is very useful if you first trip them using your legs that I have taught you before. Remember this, once you get a deer on the ground you cannot stop to let him get up. On the ground a deer is nearly helpless. It is then you use your most powerful attack, the stomp."

He went into the clearing and raised his front quarter high in the air and as he came down hit both his front hoofs on the ground. The combination of the force he used in his leg muscles and him coming back down make a loud thud in the ground.

"Do that to the side of a deer several times and you will kill him. Remember the other deer can also do the same to you. If you do get knocked to the ground, you must not stay still; you must roll and get back up no matter how much you hurt."

"Another trick is this. Balo, pretend you are attacking me from the rear. He turned his back slowing Balo his while furry tale. Balo put his head down and came after him. When Balo was close he kicked out with both rear hoofs hitting Balo lightly in the chest."

"I have seen Bambi kill a deer doing just that. If he is charging you, and you can kick out and hit him on the forehead, you can kill him. The same can also happen to you if you are not careful."

The lesson went on until the greater light had risen. He then sent both Balo and Gorro away to rest. As he walked out of the clearing by himself he caught the scent of a doe. It was Delene. He turned and went over in that direction. Sure enough she was walking away from the clearing.

"How long have you been watching?" he called to her.

She froze and turned quickly. "I am sorry; I wanted to see what you were teaching them."

"How did you stay here and yet I did not smell you?" he wanted to know.

Delene looked like a little fawn that had done something wrong. "I stood away from the clearing with the wind in my face, just like you taught me."

He wanted to scold her for intruding in things that did not concern her, but he had to admit she had fooled all of them. He just looked at her. "What I was teaching your Father and Gorro was for males only," he said sternly.

Delene looked right at him. "Stranger, doe have hoofs too," she told him and walked away. That put him in his place.

He could not make up his mind if he was angry or not with Delene, but he had to admit to himself she had a point. He went back to Claris and Carie to rest. He had no problems sleeping that day.

The next night he showed them more things and then he had them practice. The trick was to teach them to practice without hurting each other and yet still be able to attack fully. He had both Balo and Gorro kick trees to toughen their hoofs and strengthen their leg muscles. Each night before the lesson started they feed on the meadow and he noticed each night Delene would eat with Gorro. During the lessons from time to time he noticed she was watching from a distance. He could have told Balo to stop her, but he did not. Maybe Delene was right. Time would tell.

After several nights and sent Balo and Gorro back after the lesson, he stayed around and searched for Delene. She must have seen he was looking for her for she came out of the forest near him.

"Now show me what you learned," he grunted in anger. He put his head down and charged her. She turned quickly and started to run, but he caught her or so he through. As he got close she kicked out with both rear legs. If he had not been expecting her to do that, she would have kicked him in the head. He stopped and she turned around again.

"Good," he said, "Now what about this?"

He quickly lunged at her which caught her party by surprise. He got next to her and tried to use his greater weight to force her down. He was pushing her onto the ground when she shifted her weight and brought her front hoof up and kicked him lightly in the side of the head.

"That is also good," he said. "Now listen to me because your life may depend on this. These tricks I show you can help you fight someone who is a little stronger and bigger than you. It cannot defeat someone who is much stronger than you. Most males are much stronger than doe. It is just that way. You use these tricks if a large male is trying to hurt you. It will allow you to stop him and maybe stun him for a short while, but you cannot defeat a male with these tricks. He will simply over power you and kill you. What I teach you can help you get away, but it will not help you fight a male, especially a big one. Do you understand this?"

"Yes, Stranger I understand," she said in a voice that reminded him of Claris.

"Now one more question," he asked. "What do you feel about Gorro?"

She seemed surprised about his question, but did not back away. "I like Gorro very much and I think he likes me. He has told me so. He is warm and large and I like him. I hear he is like his Father, but he is not his Father."

"Have you told your Mother and Father about this?"

"I have told my Mother, she seems happy for me," she answered.

"Gorro is a good male; you both could be good for each other. You know Gorro will need to go back to his forest before The Season."

"Yes," she said, "And if he wants, I will go with him."

He walked up and nuzzled her forehead and she returned the favor. "You are as dear to me as your Mother. I wish the best for both of you."

"Thank you, Stranger," she said. "She then walked off quietly into the forest.

It was on the next night during their feeding that he walked over alone to Stena and Balo. "As herd leader I try to notice things. I notice Gorro and Delene are becoming a pair. How do you feel about that?"

"I just wish she was older," Balo said.

"You mean like her mother and father were?" he replied.

They both stopped eating and looked at him. They both started to laugh. "Thank you Father," Stena said. "You always know how to put things."

"You know she will leave the forest with him, if he asks her?" he went on.

"Yes, Stena said, "and I will miss her, but she has her life to live and she must make the choice. Let her be happy now, because how long it will last we do not know."

"Good, I recommend you telling that to Gorro if you get a chance. When you are done we will continue."

With that he finished eating then went over to Carie and Claris. He started playing mock charges with Stuben. He was strong, as strong as Balo or Stabo was at his age. He decided he had to start teaching his own son. Delon was also doing the same thing with Balo who also enjoyed pushing him back. He watched him while playing with his son and suddenly he noticed something. Instead of lowering his head and charging into his father, Delon rose up on his rear legs and kicked out with his front feet. He hit his father in the chest. It was not hard, but he had never seen a fawn do that. In playing with other fawn yes, they did it all the time but it was always in fun and never when practicing to fight. He went over and looked at Balo who was looking at his son with a mixture of anger and astonishment.

"Delon, where did you learn to do that when you fight?" he asked.

"I do not know, Stranger," I just did it. Why was it wrong?"

"No, but you must be careful with your hoofs," he explained. "You can hit and hurt someone, especially another fawn."

"I am sorry, did I hurt you Father, I did not mean too," he said not wanting to anger his father.

"No son, you did not hurt me, but Stranger is right. When you are older I will teach you to use your hoofs, but you must be careful like Stranger says. Now run and play with the other fawns, your Father has to go with Stranger and Gorro."

With that Delon ran away toward the other fawns. As the three of them walked toward their clearing he asked. "Did you see the way he kicked; it was exactly like I just taught you? That was not a play kick. That was an attack kick."

"Yes, Stranger, but I did not show him. I only show that when I am here with you and Gorro," Balo answered looking a bit confused.

"Well he picked it up somehow," he said. "That is for later. Tonight I will show you want to do if you are knocked down. The lesson continued until the lesser light had set.

As he lay next to Claris and Carie he noticed Stuben was sleeping away from them. Not far away maybe five lengths, but he was sleeping by himself. He looked at Carie, who looked right back at him

"Yes he is growing up and it is time you started teaching him the way you teach Balo and

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