a friend as most deer he knew. From the sounds he heard yesterday, the dogs must have found him and chased him down. The bear fought, that is when he heard the dogs squeal in pain. It also smelled as if he attacked Man also. The other Men must have been closed behind the dogs and hit the bear with the killing stick. The bear must have been strong enough to get away from Man, but he was hurt too badly. He went back to his home to die. He could certainly understand that feeling.

He turned back to the den. "I am truly sorry, my friend. I do hope Stranger was right. I hope you do make it to the great herd. I like to see you again. In any case I will know soon enough. Safe journey to wherever you have gone."

There was nothing more to do here. He managed to get to the edge of the meadow forest before he decided to rest there for the day. He found enough grass to eat to fill his stomach and spent the day resting during the time the greater light was overhead. Again during the day he heard Man in the Man Path forest. He heard an occasional killing stick, but not many. He heard nothing from the smaller caves along the edge of the forest. Served them right. He almost wish the fire come again and burn them like the deer they burnt. Stranger was right, they did not belong here. This was their forest, not Man's.

When the greater light set he move out along the stream, walking slowly and carefully. He turned and took one last look at his former home and the memories of that place that filled him. He then turned his back and walked away. If he did not try and hurry, the pain in his chest and legs was not so bad. It was his shortness of breath that bothered him the most. Many times he had to stop just to catch his breath. He did not even make it to where Stranger had killed Duro before the greater light rose again. He stopped and hid behind a hill and waited. Fortunately, nothing seemed to follow his trail. He heard the large mice creatures from the top of the hills, and some birds overhead, but other than that there was nothing near him. He rested flat on the ground to give relief to his protesting legs. When he woke it was dark again.

He ate, drank and emptied himself and continued his walk. He followed the stream on again moving slowly. Nothing bothered him during the night. The lesser light was dim tonight, almost nothing to be seen. Still he followed the stream and it led him on. Later in the night his chest started to bother him again. He had to stop and lie down to rest halfway through the night. Late in the night he got up and continued his journey. When day came again he was just at the edge of the hills. Beyond him was an open space where he could see his forest in the distance. Again he lay at the base of the hill and waited for the greater light to finish its trip across the sky. During the day his chest kept aching and at times he felt dizzy, but he still felt the urge to go on and try and get to his forest.

As night fell again he ate and continued his journey out in the open. He walked at a slow pace. Even then he felt pain in his left side and left legs. His breath was getting shorter and shorter and he had to stop often. By the time the sky got light again he was just at the edge of his forest. Even though it was daylight he decided to walk the remaining distance in full light and then go into the trees and stop there for the day. As he lay down his chest again started to hurt. He felt the pain again shooting down his left side and his left legs. He felt a pounding in his ears and he found himself panting on the ground. He did not know how much longer he could take this. He rested for a while and slowly the pain subsided. The numbness disappeared in his legs. He finally fell asleep and woke up just as the greater light was disappearing. He got up and after he emptied himself, he ate some grass and drank out of the lake.

Feeling a little refreshed he walked along the shore of the lake most of the time lost in memories of happier times that happened here. He had met Faline here, fought Ronno here for her, he had been born near here, and his mother died in this open clearing. He had trained his son Geno here, much to his disappointment. He trained Gorro here also. He found himself smiling as long gone faces came to mind. It was not long before he managed to walk near the deer herd. He saw two does with this year's fawns feeding.

"Could you tell me where Gorro is?" he asked.

They both looked at him strangely and then ran away toward the woods. Was he that hideous now he wondered? He walked through the herd that seemed more afraid of him than anything else. He then suddenly heard a deer call out.

"Bambi, is that you?"

He turned and saw a large male with a nice size rack on his head. He got closer and the realized the scent was familiar, but he could not recall it. "Forgive an old deer, but who are you?"

"I am Turro," he said. "Do you not remember me?"

"Turro, Cara's fawn," he realized. "The last time I saw you, you still had spots. My you have grown."

"Thank you," Turro said showing his large rack and sleek body.

"Do you know where my son Gorro is?" he asked.

"Coming out of the woods behind you with Delene and Baro their male fawn," Turro told him.

He turned around and looked at his son. He walked with his head up, but not proudly. He seemed to smile. Delene was lovelier than ever just like her mother. He then realized she did not know. None of them knew. He walked slowly forward. Gorro turned and looked at him and he saw his mouth drop open in amazement. He came close to sniff at him and then ran forward rubbing his forehead, almost in tears.

"Father," he called out. "How wonderful. I thought I never see you again." Gorro then looked around and seeing no one else asked. "Where is mother, Stranger and Claris?"

"They are all gone, my Son. I have much to tell. Is your sister and Stuben nearby?" he wanted to know.

"They will be here shortly," Gorro said large tears coming to his eyes. "Mother," he said in a low voice.

"I am tired my Son, when they get here, have all of you come over to the clearing by the hill your mother and I used to stay in. I have much to tell."

He walked over and found the overgrown thicket he and Faline use to lie in. Although their scents were long vanished the sight brought back wonderful memories of starting and raising their children here. He looked over and there over by the trees that grew close to the part of the lake that sticks out, was the small thicket he was born in. He had come home and it brought a tear to his eyes. He lay down, not hungry in the least and was content he had made it back. Even though he awoke a short time ago, he still felt tired. He closed his eyes and went to sleep happy knowing he had made it home.

"Father," he heard later on. He opened his eyes and saw his family standing around him. He had not heard or smelled them approach; something that would have never happened even a short while ago.

"My family, please lie down. I do not want to look up at you and I fear I am too weak to stand up now."

His son, Delene, with several yearlings and current fawns he did not know. Stuben was there with a doe and two fawns. His daughter Eta was there with a large male and their three yearling and new fawns. How his family had grown. He waited until they all lay down before he started. My family, I have come back here to tell you of what has happened. I must tell you first, this will be a sad story to tell."

He then proceeded to tell them all that had happened since the forest had burned down. It took a while, and he saw there were many gasps of pain and tears of sorrow. There was also some joy especially when he mentioned what happened to Stelar. The lesser light now hidden from view would be high overhead before he finished. The most visibly affected were Gorro, Delene and Stuben.

"My mother is gone," Gorro said and looked almost ready to cry out. Eta also looked very upset.

"My whole family is gone," Delene cried out. I had hoped we visit them next summer, but now there are gone."

"Then everything my father and you worked for is also gone," Stuben said shaking his head. "They even killed the poor bear."

"And the forest is also gone," Gorro went on. "There is no point in returning now. It all seems for nothing."

"NO!" he said as loud as he could. "There are deer we have trained in the Man path forest that care about the herd. There are deer here that care about the herd. What Stranger and I taught you is not lost and is helping the others which is what is what it was meant to do. You will pass it on to your children here and in their turn they will pass it on. As long as one deer is here serving the herd, it was more than worth it for this old deer."

"You came back alone?" Eta asked. "Father you could have been killed."

"There was no one else left to come," he told them. "Besides it would not have mattered much if I had died or not, other than to tell you what has happened."

"Father, do not say that," Gorro told him.

Bambi smiled as if what his Son wanted mattered any longer. "No, my Son, it is true. I am old, I am sick, and I am weak. Soon I will pass on myself. I just wanted to die here in my old forest with my family."

With that he yawned openly and he started feeling tired again. He put his head down on the ground.

"Father, you are tired," Gorro said looking at him with concern. "We will let you rest. Besides we have much to discuss among ourselves."

"Thank you my Son," I will rest here," he

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