have heard her say," he told his son. "Now I will hear yours."

"Very well," Stuben said standing back and holding his head up high like a senior male in the herd. "What I said before I meant. Balo is best deer to lead this herd after you. I admit I am not ready to be herd leader right now. I will not admit to anything else. After Balo steps aside, I will present my claim to the herd as leader. I do this because I think I am the better deer."

"You do," Delon said sarcastically. "I rather doubt that."

"We can find that out right here and right now," Stuben said and dropped his head.

"Fine," Delon said and dropped his.

"ENOUGH!" he heard a loud voice from behind him. It was Bambi.

Everyone turned to see the large deer standing as tall and erect as he had ever seen him. "As a deer who has been herd leader longer than any of you this is the perfect way to break up a herd." Bambi said and looked at all of them with contempt. "What The Stranger said is right. When it comes time for Balo to step aside, the herd will decide who will be leader, just like it will decide if Balo will be herd leader now. It is not up to just you. If you want to challenge the decision, by all means go ahead, that is your right. It is also the right of Balo to pound your tails into the ground for doing it."

"Says the male and doe that cannot make fawns either because they are so old," Carie said. That one even shocked him.

"You have no right to insult my oldest friends, doe!" he growled. "Get out of my sight."

"Says the herd leader," she said with a grin and turned away. "I doubt that too."

That finally got to him he leaped over and brought his front leg and kicked her in her tale. Carie tried to kick out with her rear legs but he was ready for that and pulled back too quickly for her to hit. He was also ready when Stuben brought down his head, He turned and dropped letting the young male charge over him. He brought his velvet covered antlers up and dragged them along the length of his body. It did not cut into him, but it certainly hurt. He quickly pulled back as not to give Stuben a chance to attack again. He looked his son right in the eyes and smiled broadly.

"Son, I taught you everything you know about fighting, but I did not teach you everything I know about fighting," he told him. "You can go with your mother."

He did not tell him that almost tired him out, but he dare not show it.

Karene looked at Stuben and his mother walking toward the woods and looked at the rest of them. "Excuse me," she said and ran off after Stuben.

He got a hold of himself and took several deep breaths and looked at Bambi. "That could have gone better."

"Indeed," Bambi said."What brought that on?"

Stean yelled out, "That DOE! said her son was better than mine. I should pound her tail into the ground."

"No, Stena," Balo said. "That is not worthy of the mate of the herd leader. If she bothers you, tell me. I will take care of it. Forgive me Stranger, but what are you going to do now?"

For once in his life, he did not know. He did not believe this was happening. He had always taught his family they were here to help the herd, not themselves. It now appear some of his family did not learn this most basic of all lessons. His plan to leave the herd leadership to Balo with no problems was now in ruin. The entire herd must have heard their argument. He could not believe that after all his teachings they could be having an argument like this.

"May I make a suggestion," Bambi said politely.

"Please do," he told him.

"Do not call for a gathering tomorrow night. Let this settle for a while. Balo, I must ask you to be patient."

"I understand," Balo said.

"Why," Stena spoke up. "Why should Balo be patient because that Doe thinks her son is so mighty? If we do that, all we do is admit that they are right and there is no way I am going to do that. You must call for a gathering tomorrow night, Father, whether they want it or not."

"I think Bambi may be right, daughter," he told her.

No, Father, I must disagree," Stena argued. "This needs to be settled now to show the herd just who is leader here, you or Carie. Besides anyone with any sense know Delon is a better deer than Stuben. He is more sensible."

"Daughter, you are starting to sound like Carie," he said as a warning.

"No I am not," she told them. "I am giving a mother's opinion. I am not insulting my mate, nor our oldest friends, but I do believe Delon is a better deer. I do not accept we delay the gathering."

"I have to agree with my mother on this," Delon spoke up. "I will not be the second deer to Stuben."

"You are what the herd says you are," he said.

"I am sorry, but I have to agree with Stranger and Bambi," Young Bambi said. "This herd is not ready to choose a new herd leader."

"So you agree with Carie?" Stena came right back.

"No I agree with Bambi and Stranger, and yes I think you are starting to sound like Carie." Young Bambi said.

"Stop!" Delon said out loud. "Do not ever say my mother is like Carie."

"Then please ask her to stop sounding like her because she is not listening to me, or Stranger or Bambi."

He could see the red flash in the eyes of Delon who took a step forward and put his head down. "You will not say that and walk away from here."

"And you are going to stop me?" Young Bambi laughed as if he heard something funny. "If case you have forgotten I am stronger than both you and Stuben. If I did not have my own forest to try and lead, I might challenge both of you."

"That is not polite," Bambi said.

"Polite no, the truth yes," Young Bambi told them all. "In fact I am going back to the Man path forest now. "You can all mess up this forest as much as you want. Just do not come to my forest to do this. Stabo and I will throw you out. Stranger, Claris, Bambi, Faline, you are all welcomed in my forest if this forest goes bad."

With that the young male turned and started walking toward the Man path forest. He never looked back at them.

Koren and Charlene finally stood up again. "Do not look at me," Koren said. "I think you all have taken leave of your senses."

He noted the light increasing in the sky. He also saw two bright lights far away down the Man path. "Man is coming," he said. "We should leave, more than enough has been said for one night."

They all rested near the pond that day. During the day he heard banging noise from the Man cave all the morning. It did not sound like Men were back to hunt, but instead they were working on the Man cave. Then the noise stopped and there was quiet for the rest of the day. It was after the greater light was overhead that he first heard the noise. At first it was just voices that got louder and louder. He woke and raised his head. That woke Claris next to him. He got up and that woke Bambi and Faline.

"Stranger," what is it?" Faline asked.

"Loud voices coming from the pond," he answered. "Sounds like deer arguing."

Bambi listed for a moment and then shot to his feet. "It is Stena's and Carie's voices," he said with a grimiest. "They are at it again."

"Well I am still herd leader and this is still my problem," he said and started off toward the pond at a quick walk. The others were behind him. As he got closer he could tell Bambi was right. It was Stena and Carie."

"You think your son is so mighty," Stena called out.

"He is better than yours," Carie came back.

"I said I would prove that right here and now," Stuben yelled out.

"If you say so," Delon called back.

"I will say who fights here," Balo yelled. "I was chosen by the Stranger as herd leader."

"We can see about that too," Stuben said. "Right after I pound Delon's tail into the ground."

That is when he reached the pond and his face was hot and his body filled with rage. The five deer were all standing close to each other. Both Stuben's and Delon's heads were down ready to fight with Balo looking to join in. Carie again tried to strike Stena who jumped back and turned quickly kicking out with her rear legs. It was a big kick and would have serious hurt Carie if she had not leaped aside.

"You can all start by fighting me," he said.

They were so busy yelling at each other they never heard them approach. He stood there shaking his head. After all his and Bambi's teachings, after all their efforts, it had come down to this. He was so mad he could not get words out at first.

"I am sorry, Father but you taught us. . ."Stena started to say.

"I have taught you NOTHING!" he yelled at them. "That is obvious to me now. Oh you certainly learned how to pound each other into the ground, but the most important thing NONE of you have learned. That is you are here for the good of the herd; not the other way around. After all this time, I have failed in the most important thing, to teach my family that one simple item. Thank you all, you have just convinced me my efforts here in this forest were a complete waste of time. Now ALL of you get out of my sight," he told them and turned his back on all of them.

"But Father. . ." Stuben started to say.

"LEAVE!" he shouted with his back still

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