Bambi

Spirit of the Young Prince: The Autobiography

Foreword by the Great Prince of the Forest

Foreword

I remember that one day in the late snowy winter where things changed for probably the best of the lives for both my son and I. It probably did not turn out that way at the start considering the tragic circumstances that we had to go through after my beloved mate was taken by poaching humans - or Man. It was especially hard on my son because he was young and so very close to his mother. There was not a single day in his childhood when they were never together and the bond they shared was very special. So I imagined it would have taken him a while to accept her absence before moving on.

I, however, had to be strong and leave it in the past. As much as I grieved the loss, I understand that it is unwise to look back and attempt to change what has already happened. As the Great Prince of the Forest, it is my duty to patrol and look after the herd, and I cannot let grief interfere with my duties.

But after that sad event, I took the young fawn under my wing before having to find him a new mother so that he could be happy again. This would have to wait, though, as harsh winter conditions made it difficult for the does to find food and feed their own young as well as themselves, so I reluctantly kept him until springtime when feed would be plentiful enough and a doe would be able to take him. 

At first I was not sure if I would be able to take care of him in the right way considering my main responsibility as leader of the forest and that I had never taken care of anyone before. Taking care of a child while attending to your duties is no easy task, plus until what happened to his mother, I had only met him once and never got to know him properly, so I knew that I had to endure and learn.

But after being with him for a little while, I discovered a side of him that I never knew. I saw a very spiritual and innocent-hearted fawn who was friendly and playful but also very obedient, willing to learn and determined to be courageous to prove himself to me. There were certainly one or a few incidents along the way, but he overcame that and performed a couple of very brave feats that not only saved the life of another doe in danger and the other animals of the forest, but also earned my respect. I can honestly say that I was so proud of him after what he achieved, especially at a young age when he had not even got his antlers as of yet.

That also goes for the courage and endurance he showed at an older age when Man returned and set fire to the forest. He fought a number of the enemies' dogs and was able to run and escape the deadly flames alongside me even after he got shot. From then on he definitely proved himself a great and worthy leader, and as both the Young Prince and my son, I had never been more proud of him.

The point is, after his mother departed - though it was hard at first - it was good in a way because it brought us closer together. I believe now that we needed each other more than ever given the circumstances. I taught him my wisdom, and he taught me - through actions, not words - how to be a free spirit and enjoy the goodness of life. Regardless of the grief of losing his mother, he was always very optimistic and believed that you have to make the most out of what you have been given to live in peace and harmony. 

Through this, I realised that he really was my son, and it just made it harder to have to eventually give him away. I knew that it might have been the best thing for the both of us as the young being raised by does and a prince looking after the herd were the general rules of the deer. But for everything we did for each other, I really loved him too much to abide and therefore decided to take him permanently. His mother would have wanted this. So I am very happy that we stuck together, and the good times will last long in my memory.

In short, Bambi deserves to be loved by everyone who knows him. Why is because he is a lot more than determined and brave. That is him on the outside. But inside he is spiritual, open-hearted, obedient, and very willing to learn. I could certainly see a lot of myself in him when I was a fawn, and so the genetic inheritance had clearly passed down. But his unique personality is everything that any great family member or friend could ask for.

His example is a fine one for others to follow. What makes a great individual is not necessarily what he or she has achieved in his or her life, but who they are. If you can achieve great things and show good spirit in character with compassion and generosity, your true status as an icon will be revealed.

Bambi is an icon and a legend and I believe his name and legacy will be remembered for much time to follow. I am very proud to call him my son.

GP.

*

The most popular kid in school

My first day on the face of the planet is certainly one that came as a surprise. Everyone knows that when a new child is born, excitement builds and they come to witness him or her at face value, but on this occasion it seemed like the whole forest wanted to see me. When I first opened my eyes and looked at this amazing sight at so many eyes staring at me, I honestly did not know how to take it. I just thought, it is wonderful to come into this world and look forward to living a good life, but am I really THAT popular? 

No one even gave me an inkling that I was the son of the Great Prince of the Forest. I had not yet met him and nor did anyone mention who he was. All I did was take to the fact that everyone liked me and immediately I made many friends, so it was nice to have some good surrounding company at first impression.

After my first meeting with everyone, my sweet mother eventually told me that I was the Young Prince, and that was why I was so popular. I then thought that Mother was like a queen or princess if I was known like this. She said that it was a little bit like that, but that there was more to the story. When I asked her what it was she said that it would have to wait until I was a little older and then I would understand. I know now that if I was told that I was the son of the Great Prince too soon, I would probably have become too excited at that fact and urged Mother to let me see and be around him, when, as I understand now, he is the leader of the forest and he must attend to his duties looking after and observing the herds to ensure they stay safe from danger, and he would hardly have had time to spend with me. Therefore it was the best thing for me to have this information kept inside until I was old enough to understand.

But this never really bothered me in the beginning, because I was enjoying my time walking through the forest with Mother and hanging around my friends. I saw most of the forest animals every day, but I mostly hung around Thumper the rabbit along with his sisters and mother. I was always curious as to why he liked me so much, but he in fact was born not too long before I was and he was also very used to being around his family, so I guess he wanted to have a friend to hang around so that he was not around the same family space all the time. I also noticed that although he never had a real issue with his sisters, they had a knack of constantly pestering him to play with them. Personally, I thought it was cute, but it annoyed him over time and so he thought that being around me gave him the 'freedom' he desired. I believe that he was just being a bit of a whiner, but that is just me.

He was an important part of my young development, though, because during my first days walking through the forest with Mother he was showing me how to walk properly when I was still a bit wobbly, encouraging me to get up when I fell, jumping over obstacles, and showing me how to pronounce correctly when I said my first words. I succeeded in almost all of that except the hopping, but that would eventually improve as I will explain later. So his help and advice was valuable.

I will also mention that, as with any newborn fawn, I really had trouble walking  and staying balanced on these long legs. I am just guessing because I never asked, but I think that Mother might have gotten me walking too soon before I could comfortably balance myself when standing up. It doesn't matter to me, but I was indeed rusty to begin with, and Thumper did say that I was wobbly and not walking well against his mother's wishes because she demanded manners, but I would have told her if I could have that he was right and he was free to say what he wanted.  

When it came to speaking my first words, I was taught the names of certain living species. I understood what everyone was saying to me, so I was able to pick that up fine, but when it came to identifying things, I needed help there and Thumper was especially helpful. Then when my first encounter with a young skunk came, I ended up mistaking him for a flower since that was the previous word I had been taught right before then. He was very surprised when I called him that but at the same time not so fussed, and Thumper tried to tell me, after a slight hysterical amusing moment, what animal he really was before the skunk interrupted:

"Oh, that's alright. He can call me a flower if he wants to. (Shy chuckle) I don't mind."

So I took his word for it and said to him (with the words that I knew at the time):

"Purtty. Purtty flower." I was meant to say 'pretty' but that is the way Thumper always said it, and so I just followed on from him.

He then blushed and laughed in a shy manner. I could see that he was quite a bashful character but also very sweet. He then took a likening to me and decided to take Flower as his own name. Why he did so remains a mystery considering he is a skunk and these animals are supposed to smell bad with the spray that they release, but when I think about it now, he is a very kind-hearted individual and his shyness just makes him so loveable; so spiritually speaking, inside he is as beautiful as the flower and it symbolises his large and open heart. I believe that there is always a deeper meaning with names and symbols and it is important to look at that before anyone jumps to conclusions.

I continued to hang around with Thumper for the rest of the day as he further educated me about the living species in the forest as well as the forest itself, until the evening when the weather changed for what I thought at the time was a fearful event, and we knew that it was not safe to stay out in the open, so we headed home to the undercover where we would be safe from the danger of the electrical white strikes. I always felt less afraid when I was around Mother, so the anxiety never lasted long. Even when my first experience witnessing extreme weather with thunder and heavy rain came, as much as I was a little terrified, Mother was there to comfort me and she assured me that we would be completely safe as long as we remained covered. Sure enough, the weather did not last long that night and it cleared very soon, so I was relieved.

Mother mentioned to me after that event that this is all a part of nature and the health of the forest as well as its inhabitants would be non-existent without it, so we should be glad of it. I knew that made sense, so I took her word for it and never worried about rain or thunder since.

After those first few days of my life, I learned a lot about the forest and got to know most the animals better than before, so I made so many friends. It might have been the fact that I was the Young Prince, but several of the animals, including Thumper and Mother, assured me that it was more than that: I was very genuine. Well, I only aim to please, so I guess that I did alright on first impression. I never liked to pride myself on the popularity, but it is still nice to be the most popular kid in school.

*

The Meadow/Great Prince

During that late summer (the same season I was born) Mother was about to take me on yet another new experience. This would not come too soon, though, as it would have to wait until I was a little older and therefore learned enough to be careful and self-aware, because there would be risks involved in this destination. Mother knew that I was very disciplined and so she decided that it would be safe for me to visit this place, as long as she was with me. I also gave an inkling to her that there would be others like us in the meadow if we were venturing there, and I think she agreed.

Eventually, we came to an open plain field within the heart of the forest that seemed to stretch over quite a distance. I knew immediately that this was the meadow and, because I wanted to just get out there and enjoy the experience, my excitement and adrenaline got the better of me before I had the wisdom to wait for my Mother's instruction. Subsequently, she ran in and blocked my path before I could cross into the open territory. She then warned me of the potential danger within the meadow:

"You must never rush out into the meadow. There might be danger. Out there we are unprotected. The meadow is wide and open, and there are no trees or bushes to hide us with. So we have to be very careful. I'll go out first, and if it's safe, I'll call you."

So I obliged and hid near a bush at the edge of the forest line as Mother walked out slowly to inspect the open grassland. While she was doing so, I thought about what she had just warned me about and wondered whether it would be wiser not to venture there at all because of the danger. But she did mention to me before that it was a very wonderful place and that it was important for me to visit because it would give me the opportunity to meet and make some new friends and play around with them. She also mentioned that play is supposed to be a healthy part of a young deer's development, and so the meadow experience would be perfect for that. Therefore I trusted her.

After a couple of moments of careful and thorough observation, Mother turned around and called me to come along and join her as she declared that it was safe. We then ran and bound along the meadow for a little bit before I went to run off on my own in search of friends and intriguing sights. She knew that I was disciplined and responsible enough, and so was more than happy to let me go alone before she would eventually need me to come back.

Being able to run long distances for the first time in my life felt so good physically and mentally in the sense that, along with the fitness training, it also gave me a sense of freedom. The sight of the meadow I found especially beautiful as it really gave me a feel of nature and how lucky it felt to be living in this wonderful place.

On my travels through the meadow, I found Thumper and his family feasting on clover plants and they encouraged me to join in with them, which I did. But Thumper noticed me just eating the green leaves instead of his preference of blossoms and so he wanted me to do that, again against his mother's wishes as she reminded him to cite his father's wisdom on the healthy value of greens. He did so, but told me quietly in his words that it never tasted nice. I just thought to myself, Here he goes again! Thumper being fussy. It is always the way. Well, he never really got this way when he was not around his family because he could just be a little more free to do what he wanted. As I said earlier, he just wanted to get out of that family zone and be his own individual.

So after seeing them, I went over to a nearby pond and got a first view of my reflection. Shortly afterwards, a second reflection would appear, and when I looked up to see where it came from, I caught sight of a female fawn. She seemed pretty cheerful and very keen to play, but I was honestly not sure what to say or do as this was the first time that I had met another fawn and I was a little bit shy. I showed this as she chased after me until I got back to Mother, where the other fawn's mother was also situated. I was told that her name was Faline, and Mother encouraged me to show a little nerve and play with her, which I tried to do, but she ended up getting the better of me with constant niggling. That would not last long, though, as that really took the bashfulness away and got me chasing after her in a return playful manner. During this time, we enjoyed each other's company and became friends.

As we were playing, we noticed the sound of pounding hooves. When we looked up, we spotted a heard of stags entering the meadow. They were either running together in packs or sparring in pairs of two in friendly competition, and there were so many of them that I swear it could have been the whole population of the forest in the one place at this time. This was the first time that I had actually seen full grown male deer, and the sight of their actions in the meadow looked quite remarkable and awe-inspiring that I was very tempted to go along with it as I thought that this is what us thin-legged animals do. But through the running and frolicking, I unwisely got right in their running path and had to find shelter amongst the rocks to avoid being trampled. Duty of care was something that I was still not quite gifted with at the time, so I knew that I had to learn more. Still, to see the sight of running stags was a thing of beauty.

Eventually, they all stopped running and gathered together in one place in the meadow, standing still and focusing their eyes on something up ahead. Intrigued as I was, I entered the crowd of stags and looked in the same direction where they were staring to find out what it was about. That was when I saw probably the most iconic animal figure in the forest for the first time, and little did I know how much closer in another sense I actually was to him until later on.

He was standing at the edge of the forest and watching the whole heard. I noticed his antlers were much larger and longer than any of the other stags and was easily larger in body size. I could tell in some way that he was different from the rest, but I really could not tell if it was more than just his physical appearance in that sense. 

He began walking in a sort of regal style towards the herd, and they kept their eyes focused on him as he did so whilst remaining still. I did the same, and then in an unexpected moment, he came close to where I was and then stopped to look at me. Surprised and awed at his presence, I let out a smile of impression, and he just remained staring at me and let out small smile in return before turning his head away and moving on. Right after he left, Mother joined my side, and I was eager to know about who I had just come face to face with.

"Why was everyone still when he came out on the meadow?" I asked.

"Everyone respects him." Mother replied. "For of all the deer in the forest, not one has lived half as long. He is very brave and very wise. That is why he is known as the Great Prince of the Forest."

"So does that mean he is the leader of the forest?"

"Yes. He is the leader of all the animals. He patrols all areas of the forest to watch for signs of danger and ensure that all is safe."

I acknowledged the information and turned my eyes back to him. He had just walked back into the forest and soon disappeared from sight. It had felt very special to have meet someone of such high calibre, and, again, his impressive figure was something I just imagined would be difficult to replicate.

After he disappeared, we and the herd continued to hang around the meadow. They had all stopped running and spent their time walking, socialising with fellow deer and grazing, so we did likewise. But there would be little time to spend on this as we suddenly heard the sound of cawing. It was coming from a flock of crows flying above the meadow. They had flown from the forest and I could tell their cries were something of a warning, because all the deer lifted their heads fast and carried worried looks on their faces. Then, sure enough, the Great Prince returned from where he disappeared into and ran onto the meadow, stomping his front hooves to further warn the herd of the danger. They immediately got the message and began running away toward the direction of the forest of the other side of the meadow. 

I was panicking and tried to follow suit, but Mother and I lost each other in the crowd and, subsequently, I did not know where I was supposed to go because I could not remember where we entered into the meadow from, plus most of the herd had already disappeared so I could not follow them where they ran to. If I randomly ran in a certain direction and it ended up being the wrong one, I could have come face to face with the danger and risked losing my life, so that was why it was important for me to find mother so I knew where to go. Luckily for me, the Great Prince searched for and found me, and he encouraged me to follow him, so I ran with him as fast as I could back toward the forest where we came to the meadow from. Mother eventually caught up, and the three of us fled the open grassland altogether right before we heard a loud and deadly noise echo within. I had no idea what that was at the time, but I knew that it was the sound of danger, and that was what we had to escape from.

Mother and I headed straight for our den while the Great Prince parted ways with us almost from the moment we got back amongst the trees. I knew that he was going to check on the other animals and make sure that they were all safe. I would have liked to have said 'thank you' for leading me away from the danger and back to Mother, but I knew that he had an important job to do and I did not want to keep him from his duty. Besides, I was just happy that we made it back safely because I was very scared before.

But to be honest, I really had no idea what we were all running from because I had never encountered an attack from our supposed great enemy until this moment, so I was keen to get this matter off my chest. I had my opportunity when Mother advised me that it was safe for us to come out of the den since we no longer had to hide from that threat of danger that just occurred.

"What happened, Mother?" I asked her. "Why did we all run?"

"Man was in the forest." She replied. "He is our biggest enemy. He carries a deadly weapon with intentions of taking our lives. We are unable to appeal to his better nature, so he will continue to do what he does. We must stay away from him by any means necessary."  

I listened carefully to this and started shivering in slight fear at the thought. There were many times in my childhood when I hated acting like a coward and so I wanted to be strong, but I understand that it is natural for a child to be afraid of things and therefore it takes time to mature and show true courage. So although I was worrying inside, I did not show it to Mother. I just wanted to let her know that I acknowledged the information and would promise to be very careful from now on. I believe she eventually understood that.

So from my first venture in the meadow, it seemed a bit daunting after both the warning of danger and the life-threatening experience to go with it. But I became more open to the beauty of nature as well as its many inhabitants. It gave me a sense of unity with all of the animals and the justification of why it was important for us to co-exist in times when our ecosystem would be threatened by human activity. That was what the Great Prince stood for and he was setting the example as the leader of the forest, so he was very inspirational to all who respected him. He certainly inspired me that day. 

I also was keen to know whether his status as prince had anything to do with me, but, like when I was told shortly after being born, Mother said that it would have to wait until I was older. Again, it was not really a big deal to me, so I obliged with the advice and let it go.

*

First winter

We got through the rest of the Summer after that close encounter with Man, and even during Fall we never saw or heard any sign of him or them again. But we stayed away from the meadow for the remainder of that time along with all who were wise enough to protect both themselves and their families until time passed through to when Man was absent for long enough that it would be safe for us to return there. But we knew that as long as we remained sheltered by the trees and bushes in the forest, we would not be harmed, and we were quite happy within our habitable environment anyway.

So the good times exploring the forest with Mother and hanging around with Thumper and his family continued through Fall. This was a curious season to me as the changing of the colours of the trees and their loss of leaves made the atmosphere so beautiful yet supposedly somber. I got the impression that the forest was losing its valuable support of life, but Mother explained to me that everything in the forest has its season: Where one thing falls, another will soon grow within time to become as beautiful if not more than the previous generation before. 

Further on this subject, she said something that would eventually be of inspirational advice at a time in my youth when I would need it most, as I will explain later:

"Life in the forest is beautiful - both outside and within. What cannot be seen now will appear within time when the previous form of life disappears. When the time comes for one thing, the following will take it's place and this cycle will continue so that life will thrive forever."

Hearing this gave me a greater appreciation of nature in general, not just our own habitat, and would give me the strength to hold my head up high when times were tough and circumstances demanded it. Again, that will come up later.

So the leaves continued to fall through the season and the air temperature began to get colder. Then the day after the last ones left the trees, I would soon discover another incredible sight within the forest.

I woke up that morning and noticed that it felt much colder than it had been in the last days of Fall. I then looked outside and noticed that the whole forest was covered in white. This seemed very unusual to me as there was nothing like this within the forest the day before, so what this all was and how it came so quickly was beyond me. Mother told me that it was snow and that this new season of winter comes after fall. So after a little observation, I decided to go and check it out. Mother knew that it was alright for me to explore the forest on my own since I was a little older and more educated but also with common sense. It was every bit as important that I needed it after a close encounter with Man. Then again, we all needed it.

So I walked out into the white-covered woods and felt the soft cushioning from the snow on my hooves. It felt good to walk on at first, but I occasionally came across thicker patches of snow and ended up half-buried in it, and then snow would fall from the trees and land on me and I would be fully buried. I took note of the cold feeling of the snow when it touched me, but us deer have plenty of insulation in our fur so it never bothered me. I concluded that the snow is actually fun to play in, so I set out to make the most of it. 

Eventually, Thumper appeared and encouraged me to enjoy the wonders of winter with him, which I did. He then took me to an area that might have been fun for him but something that I would struggle with: It was a small frozen lake  that Thumper described as stiff water, or, as I found out later, ice. He leapt onto the cold hard surface and slid very easily on his long feet. I tried to follow suit, but the moment my hard hooves hit the ice, they slid outwards and I lost balance and landed on my belly with my body rotating several times before I stopped. I knew that this was going to be hard work for me as my solid hooves would not allow me to even stand still on the ice with so much sliding. Thumper tried to help me up and get me to 'steadily slide' on the ice - shall we say? - but as much as he helped, I was still not able to keep my balance long enough, and so I slid, with Thumper, into snow at the surrounding of the lake. From that, I enjoyed it but it would have been more fun if I actually had 'softer cushioning'!

After that, we heard snoring coming from a nearby den, and we knew then that a certain animal was hibernating because our parents taught us how some sleep all through the winter. We just had no idea that this animal might be someone we already knew, because when we looked into the den, it was none other than the shy young skunk who we only met once before but took an immediate likening to: Flower. 

The rabbit and I looked at each other without saying anything but surely thinking in unison, he is hibernating, so we should not be waking him up, but even just a couple of minutes of his time couldn't hurt. We are his friend, after all. So then Thumper did his unusual 'ritual', so to speak, and thumped his foot continuously to get the skunk's attention, which did wake him up immediately. We shared a short but friendly exchange before he went back to hibernating sleep, him knowingly not waking up again until the eventual spring. 

We could not help but notice how sweet and sensitive he was, and that was another reason why we liked him. I knew that he also cherished our friendship because he blushed and smiled so much every time we saw him. He was certainly a good addition to our little gang and I would never have wanted to let go of someone of his calibre.

From that first day, I thought that we would have enjoyed the season with its surroundings, but I was about to learn that in the wilderness, conditions in winter can get very severe and harsh. For many days thereafter, the wind got strong and snow continued to fall. This made visibility very poor and the temperature colder, so being exposed in the open seemed a risk, but we still had to go out every now and then when the weather was calmer to find food and water where possible. This was not easy, though, as all the grass that we would normally eat was buried underneath the snow, which forced us to find alternative options, so the bark on the trees was sufficient to keep us and the rest of the deer satisfied. We kept on eating the bark through the winter to the point that it was disappearing fast from the trunks of the trees and becoming harder to reach. Then when we were unable to reach it anymore, we had to handle a bit of time in the late season without food. We had a good supply before the scarcity and it was enough to keep us going, but it did not stop the hunger pains coming back.

Winter seemed so long to me, and I was wondering when it was going to end, but Mother told me to keep my chin up as the last days of winter were approaching and we should be able to find food around if we looked hard enough. That one time when we got lucky would not turn out so good, and this was where my life was about to change.

*

A turn for the worst (so it seemed)

As it was, Mother and I, along with the other deer in the forest, kept on searching in the late winter for any sign of feed. Food was still very scarce and there would be a lot of competition from the other animals to get the feed before them, so you had to be lucky, and whoever missed out might have had to wait until the beginning of spring. I feared that we might be among those who would or will, not that we would necessarily die of starvation because of the supply we maintained through the season, but hunger pains can creep up on you sometimes.

One overcast but calm day, Mother and I went out to the meadow to search for any hope of food. We came through here searching several times through winter, but we could not find anything. It also seemed a bit of a risk considering there might have been danger occurring again, but Mother told me that this was the rarest time of the year when Man would attack, and that one would have to be very unlucky to be taken because of that unpredictability of movement of both Man and animals at various times. Her being the expert, naturally, I took her word for this and we both took our chances.

Sure enough, out in the middle of the meadow, new spring grass had appeared though a thin patch in the snow. We both felt a sense of relief and joy because we were finally going to get our feed for the first time in I-do-not-know-how-many-days. It was also a sign to us that spring was approaching, so it was something else that we were looking forward to.

We went over to the patch and began grazing. I had waited a while to taste grass again, and I was thinking, I forgot how great this really tastes! It seems that it is more appetising when you come back to it after so long, so I was enjoying it. I am sure that Mother felt the same way.

The good feeling inside would be very short-lived, though, as Mother suddenly jerked her head up fast and turned it to various directions as if she had just detected something. Her face was filled with worry as she immediately realised that something was not right.

"Bambi!" She exclaimed. "Quick! The thicket!"

I stopped grazing, took an immediate hint of the threat of Man and ran back in the direction where we entered the meadow from. Panic began to rush through my head as I was running, along with the earlier assumption of the unlikely appearance of our worst enemy. Big mistake, that was! I exclaimed in my head. There would be no time to think any further as we had to get out of here as soon as possible, but strangely I seemed to be running faster than Mother was as she trailed behind me. I didn't understand why she would not be running beside me, but I know now that she was staying behind me for a reason, as I was about to find out soon.

I heard the deadly sound of single shots from guns behind us and that made me run faster. That and Mother's shouts of anxious encouragement made me understand that this is the time in your life when you run the fastest you ever have.

"Faster, Bambi!" She yelled. "Don't look back! Keep running! Keep running!"

I did exactly as was told and got to the edge of the meadow and back into the thicket right after I heard one last gunshot, but escape was all that was on my mind so I barely heard it. If only I knew what that exact shot meant.

I got back into the forest and kept on going without even thinking whether Mother would be behind me or not, because I had to focus on escaping from Man and making it to safety. As she had told me, I could not look back. But had I done so, I would have noticed that she was not behind me from the time that I ran through the forest to when I got back to the den. 

Once there, I thought that we had made it back safe together, until I realised that I was alone. I became anxious and left the den immediately to go and look for her, constantly calling her out in the process. As I did so, snow began to fall. It seemed a symbol of this current daunting experience, as I was about to find out.

I knew that something was wrong, but I could not tell for sure if it was what I though it was. I did not even want to think that way because it was too traumatising. I just kept on searching for Mother. I swear that I must have searched for quite a while, and it was getting to the point where the anxiety brought the tears to my eyes.

The worst fear was then realised when I was eventually stopped in my tracks after looking up at a surprisingly familiar face. It was none other than the Great Prince. He was likewise bearing a very solemn yet composed face, and the look pretty much said the hard words before he could reluctantly deliver them to me in a baritone voice:

"Your mother can't be with you any more."

I then stood there frozen for a short moment as I had just realised what had happened: That last gunshot I heard had taken Mother away. I immediately expressed shock and disbelief before it finally turned into mourning when I looked down at the ground. I was extremely saddened and ready to break down. I was thinking, No, she can't be gone! please tell me this is not true. This has to be a bad dream. Please tell me that Mother is still alive. 

I soon opened my eyes again and looked back up at the large stag in front of me to confirm that it was true. He remained staring at me in a sad way but said nothing for a little while. I assumed that he was giving me time to mourn. So it showed when the tears came to my eyes, and a few rolled down my face before the Great Prince sympathetically spoke again, this time confirming something that had been on my mind for a long time but what I was never told about and finally ended suspicion:

"Come...my son."

As much as I was grieving at this moment, I was simultaneously surprised after he said that. The Great Prince of the Forest is my father?! After all of this time wondering about my status as a prince, it is finally solved. No one told me, but maybe I should have figured it out myself. 

I remember Mother saying to me that the full story about me being a prince would have to wait until I was older, but now this had all gone away. I then began to question myself as to why I had not been told earlier. I mentioned in the first chapter the reason, but I was too young to understand it at this current point, so, again, I said nothing. Besides, I was in too much grief to think about it. The main and more important problem right now was the tragic event that had just occurred.

Without thinking too much about him being my father, I could see that he was now trying to aid me in this difficult time. Putting my trust in him now that I knew we were connected by bloodline, I obeyed his command and followed him as he walked a separate direction to where I came from. I assumed that he was taking me to his den. But as I was about to leave, I turned and looked back one more time to take in what had just happened and also quietly hope that Mother would appear from anywhere. Seeing that she didn't, I gave up hope and continued to follow who I now knew was my father into the forest. 

It continued to snow as we walked. We travelled a little distance and visibility was still quite poor through most of the journey, but, again, I was mourning too much to care. My father's presence certainly made me feel comfortable, but it was not enough to stop the sadness that I was feeling. It is very hard to remain strong inside when you have just lost a parent, especially when the both of you are so close together at heart.

When we arrived at the Great Prince's den, he allowed me to go in ahead of him. I looked up at him again as I walked past. In between all of the sorrow, I was feeling very grateful to him for sympathising and taking me in, so I did want to say this to him, but I think that the look on my face just said it. The expression on his face did not change but I believe that he acknowledged it all the same, because I could tell that he was also feeling heartbroken at the loss.

Anyway, I went into the den and immediately fell asleep. As well as the sadness I was feeling, I was also tired from the running to escape from Man as well as the search for Mother. It was so much for me and I had to rest.

While I was sleeping, I was not even aware of what was happening right outside the den. I think that I barely heard voices of conversation, but I was too distraught to notice, so I ignored it. Had I paid attention, I would have discovered my future fate. But it was also the start of something good, as I was about to find out soon enough.

At this moment, meanwhile, I still could not believe that Mother was gone. There had not been one day when we were not together and she had loved me like no one else in my youth thus far. I loved her greatly in return for everything that she did for me, but also for the fact that she, in personality, was a wonderful mother. How am I supposed to live without someone like that? I thought.

So it was very hard to take and I knew that the scars would certainly take their time to heal.

My father eventually came into the den and lay down to go to sleep. After he did, I opened my eye on him one last time. Thank you for taking me in during this hard time, father. I was thinking but eager to speak it if I could have. I hope that you can help me get through this. I then shut my eye and went back to sleep.

*

Groundhog day

It was the following morning after that tragic event. I was so psychologically fatigued from it that I slept on through the night and even a little more after dawn. I didn't actually realise I had slept in until I was woken up by water droplets, which - through this season at least - were unusual considering that everything was frozen over by the snow and ice. But as the last days of winter were evident, the signs of spring were well on their way.

Anyway, I woke up peacefully and was actually feeling a little better than the previous day. It was probably because I was able to rest off the sadness and mourning and be mentally fresh once again. Not easy to do considering the circumstances, but with the added presence of my father, at least I had one parent left and I could feel safe. So it wasn't all bad.

But I noticed that my father wasn't in the den, and I felt a sudden rush of panic as I hurried outside to look for him. As soon as I got out, I bumped into a thin leg. Well, thin for the animal itself, but compared to my size, it felt thicker. I looked up and saw The Great Prince himself looking down at me with a light stern look and clearing his throat, thereby saying something along the lines of, you are late and I have been waiting for you. I knew that I had slept in and I was feeling a little embarrassed, but I tried to stay composed. He let me off this time, but warned that if I was late again, he would have to leave without me.

My stomach began to rumble, signalling that I was hungry. Even my father noticed the sound, much to my own surprise, and suggested that I should eat. I said nothing and stared at him before aiming my pupils towards the snow white ground, saying something like, well, yes, but in case you haven't noticed, there is no sign of food. Not on the ground and not on the trunks of the trees. How can I eat? He got this message right away and found a solution by digging into the snow and revealing ground roots. I was hesitant as I had never tasted roots before and they did not look very appetising.

"How do you know you don't like it if you have never tried it?" He asked, speaking wisely.

I looked at him and thought, yes, good point. I am not thinking clearly. Well, if I thought about it, the distraught from yesterday had not entirely worn off yet, so it was not easy to think clearly. So anyway, I took a bite and found that it did taste alright - a little bit like mixing the flavour of the grass with tree bark - but it gave a very cold chill in the stomach after swallowing, so I also gave a bit of a shudder. No wonder, because it had been buried under the snow all winter!

My father then got moving and said that we had to check on the other deer in the South Wood. I began to build up some excitement because of the fact that I was going exploring with The Great Prince of the Forest for the first time, and, without thinking properly, I just went mad and began jumping around and yelling, "Whoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo!". My father, not amused but staying composed, stopped me immediately.

"A prince does not 'whoo-hoo'." He said.

"He doesn't?" I asked, a little surprised at him stopping me from just trying to have some fun.

"He certainly does not." He replied, speaking with wisdom and standing up very straight to show the proper pose for a deer. "A prince maintains control at all times. Display dignity. Walk with pride."

He then began to walk with the same pose with his head held high and eyes also closed to emphasise, and I did the same, knowing that I had to follow suit since he really meant authority. He certainly appeared to have this no-nonsense attitude, and I was not prepared to do anything silly in front of him. It's not that this was a part of my nature, but when it comes to responsible attitude, I do not like getting in trouble for annoyance. Whatever they might demand, I have always wanted to keep others happy.

So I followed him for a short distance until we came to a downhill slope that appeared a bit steep, and it was confirmed when I was unable to grip the snow properly with my hooves and then slid through my father's legs and down the slope. Luckily, a pile of snow lay below and it broke my fall, leaving me unhurt. Had I moved a little more to the left or right, I would have crashed into the trees and it might have caused serious injury. Father could see that my common deer instincts had not quite set in yet, and again he was not entirely impressed, but continued to walk on.

As much as I did not want this to happen in front of Father, things got a little more embarrassing for me along our further travels through the forest. First, we walked through a small pond that used to be frozen, but the late winter season warmth had melted the ice and made it water once again. As soon as I put my hooves into the water, it felt absolutely freezing and I had to literally hop through the water to get to the other side before it would get worse. Even when I got out, the effects from the cold did not wear off for a few moments, and I was relieved when it finally did.

I honestly had not felt the cold like that before, and it would be something that I would have to adapt and get used to while I would get older. I am sure that would require walking through the ice cold water more often! What a pleasant feeling (!)

Further along, we would come to a log that was blocking our path, and Father jumped over it with ease. I was determined to follow suit, but I was smaller than the larger stag and I would really have to pull off a big jump to clear it. So I hesitantly got ready to pounce before I saw a gap under the log that seemed large enough for me to squeeze through. It didn't come easy as I got stuck for a small moment, and I had to push a bit to get through. That force propelled me forward and face first into the snow. Father then looked back at me, again appearing unimpressed but saying nothing, and I felt embarrassed once again, so I tried to hide it with a nervous chuckle.

It was as if he expected me to know how to deal with such things with natural instincts. Let's face it: I was still young and just needed some guidance. I knew that maybe Father could help me along the way, but Mother also could have if she was still alive.

Anyway, we walked a little more distance before we came to a cliff in the South Wood that overlooked the herd of deer in the distance at an open space. They were all does with their fawns, and all were playing and socialising with each other. I did not understand why we had to be so far from them because I was eager to join in with them.

"Don't you think it would be better if we got a little closer?" I asked the Great Prince.

"The distance makes it easier to spot danger." He replied.

"Hmm." I replied, thinking, yes, good point. We do need to stay alert for Man. But that doesn't mean that we can't have some leisure time as well, right? "But it sure makes it harder to play with them." I therefore added.

I then got the urge to add something on that subject as it came to my mind, remembering something that Mother once said to me: "Play is a healthy part of a young deer's development."

"Is that so?" The Great Prince replied with a light smile, seemingly impressed about my learnings. But it quickly went away after I brought up something else:

"Uh-huh. Mother says so. I remember this one time Mother and I were out on the meadow and this fawn came up to me and wanted to play and..."

"Bambi." He quietly snapped, ceasing my speech immediately. "I think it is best to leave the past in the past. A prince does not look back. Only ahead."

I thought about what he said for a second and realised that the mention of Mother was hurting him inside (as it did with me) and the pain would only go away if he let her go altogether. Inside, I was also feeling a little sick thinking about her because of how much I missed her, so I took my Father's words as gospel and agreed with him that I needed to put it out of mind.

We then continued on to cover more ground in the late spring snowy woods.

We went through a few areas of the forest that I had not previously seen before, including visiting several other open areas where the deer had been known to roam. I got the impression that while I had seen most of the forest growing up, it was a very large area and there was only so much to see. 

Now that I was with the Great Prince and he knew every area of the forest, I would possibly be heading on a journey of greater discovery.

But what I also admired was his wisdom and courage - certain elements that I also saw in Mother, which, I was sure, she had learned from her very mate, and what she had taught me to be.

They are certainly traits of the Royal bloodline, and it sure was important for me to learn them and continue the legacy.

That is probably why, through the grief and sorrow, an opportunity to learn great things was about to open up, and it gave me a chance to refresh my mind.

As we were walking further through the forest, I walked through a deep, thick coverage of snow that I could not keep even my head under, resulting in my whole body getting 'whitened out'. Even so, I eventually got to normal thin coverage once again, where after shaking the snow off, I found Thumper clinging onto my back leg. It was a pleasant surprise and good to see him again because we had not done so since that first day of winter a while back. 

He explained that he had been hiding from his sisters because they were pestering him to take them to see the groundhog, where on this particular day in late winter was the annual event where the groundhog emerges from winter slumber to observe whether he sees his shadow or not. If he does, it means more winter, and if not, spring would soon be on its way. It was quite a popular event here in the forest and other animals were also going to be there. To be honest, I wanted to attend as well, but I also wanted to stay with my father and let him show me the forest. I also realised that he would not like it if I slowed down behind him.

To his own annoyance, Thumper's sisters eventually did find him, and, along with his mother, convinced him to take them to the groundhog. I, on the other hand, got a call from the Great Prince to keep up with him, so I left my friends to do their business.

But I had further trouble keeping up with the stag because he was ascending a long, steep and slippery wall and I kept slipping backwards. His hooves were big enough for him to dig in and grip so that he could ascend fine, but my little hooves could not yet handle it. He saw this and gave in to let me go and see the groundhog with my friends because he told me that the South Meadow was very far and that it would be harder for me to keep up. To this day I think that he was just saying that to convince me to leave him be, but I still obliged all the same just to keep him satisfied. I really did not want to disappoint him in that sense because he seemed as intimidating as he was strong and wise.

So I eventually joined Thumper again along with his sisters and even Flower, who we convinced to awaken to see the special event. Faline also came along, so it was wonderful to see her again as well, because, not that I knew much then, I was actually beginning to fall in love with her.

Thumper seemed pleased that my dad 'let' me come, but I only let him know what he probably wanted to hear about my dad and I being close - not entirely true at that point - because I did not want to create a bad impression in front of my friends about personal issues. Not on this day, at least.

Anyway, the groundhog eventually emerged and he did not end up seeing his shadow, which was because of the luck of a cloud covering up the sun and causing shading at that very moment. The result of spring approaching caused rapture among the animals and they began singing a traditional spring song, much to the irritation of Friend Owl. Old and wise, yes, but also a bit of an old grump!

Almost immediately afterwards, I met my rival for the first time.

To our disappointment after the celebration of the occasion, the groundhog was suddenly scared back into his hole after a crude prank from an emerging slightly older fawn that me. His antlers had already begun to come through and he had no spots on his back, unlike me as yet. He found what he had just done very amusing and wanted to show it off to everyone, but we had no interest and walked away, still feeling the disappointment of the special day being ruined.

He stopped us short and introduced himself to us as Ronno. He then advised us not to head in the direction we were walking as he himself had seen Man. We were all surprised and intrigued by this, and he then rambled a far-fetched story about how he had been in the meadow and heard a voice luring him in, only for the fawn to sneak up and 'knock him out' with his antlers. I certainly believed it, but Faline knew that he was making it all up. As ironic as it sounds, I did say 'unbelievable' to him. He then took it literally and said that I was calling him a liar. I tried to debate that, but he challenged me to a spar. He even mocked my name as it sounded feminine to him. I then took a dislike to his ego, as did everyone else, I am sure. 

I just never understood how anyone in the forest could act like this after everyone else in this environment got along so well. I knew that it was important for the animals of the forest to co-exist so that we would be able to work together to defend ourselves from Man and live peaceful lives. That would completely compromise were it to be otherwise, and Ronno was a bad example in such a circumstance.

Conveniently, his mother showed up before he had a chance to fight me and called for him to come over, to which he obliged with irritation. I was glad because I was timid and semi-confidant and knew nothing better than running away in self-defence. I only hoped that he would keep his distance from me after that because he just had this evil arrogance that earns no respect. I am sure that everyone else felt the same.

My friends and other animals then left for their respective families to head home as it was getting dark. Faline and I exchanged one last pleasantry before she met with her mother to go home. That sight of a mother with her fawn broke my heart and made me think of my own mother again. Alone in that moment with everyone gone, I looked around the forest, hoping that mother was somehow still alive and would show up, but she didn't. I then gave in and headed back to a resting place near the Great Prince's den, where I lay and shut my eyes to go to sleep until my father would get back from his patrol. The thought of Mother still haunted my mind, and it would only continue in a more pleasant dream I had about happily reuniting with her, if only for a short time.

*

Cheating death

Having that dream about Mother seemed real enough for the fact that she was trying to voice some wisdom into me through my time of grief. She reminded me that everything in the forest has it's season where one thing falls but then another grows into something new and beautiful, and that her spirit was always there for me even if I could not see her. In a way, that gave me a sense of security and made me feel less lonely. Besides, I had my good friends to support me, as well as the whole forest since I was the Young Prince, so I never really was alone.

I didn't know it at the time, but she was trying to tell me that something good was about to come out of the ashes of this tragedy. That I was about to find out later.

By the time I woke up again, it was dusk and the sun was about to disappear, but that was far from what grabbed my attention. I had awoken to the sound of a voice very familiar calling from nearby. It was saying, 'hello', 'I'm here', and 'it's me'. It sounded a lot like Mother, and I got an immediate impression that she had survived and was calling for me to come. Excited, I ran towards where the voice was coming from, very eager to see her dear face once again (no pun intended).

I ran for a short distance before I arrived at the edge of the forest before the meadow. There, the voice stopped for a short while, and I could see nothing except the open snowy white area with the sun setting over the horizon. Coming to the meadow brought back that painful memory of the previous day, and I really was not keen on coming here again as a result.

Still, I was desperate to see Mother again, so that drive kept me going.

The voice eventually sounded again with the same three phrases as before, and so I entered the meadow with great caution (remembering what Mother had taught me on staying vigilant about potential dangers) and followed it to a snowed-in rock, which was actually not too far from the very place where Mother had been taken, I imagined. That I tried very hard to block out of my mind, because, again, it hurt to think about it.

The moment I came around the rock, a flock of crows once again flew across from the forest on the the far side and cawed their danger warning that Man was nearby, and then three fierce animals emerged from the trees, barking loudly and running straight towards me, undoubtably reading to strike and kill. This unexpected surprise sent shockwaves through my body, and because I got very scared knowing that I was alone and there was nowhere for me to run or hide, I froze in terror. It was a dumb thing to do and I should have run, but the fear took a hold of me too well and I could not control myself. I knew that I would be done for now.

The dogs got closer and closer, not letting up on speed or barking, and just before they got to me, my father suddenly jumped in front of me and attacked the dogs with everything he had, kicking with his hooves and throwing with his antlers. His size, strength and agility overpowered them and they eventually retreated in defeat. I barely noticed this, though, because I was still frozen in fear - it seemed more like a trance - but I snapped out of it when the Great Prince nudged me and yelled at me to run. My mind refocused and I did just as I was told. We got back into the tree line just before I heard a gunshot ring out, but, again, I was just focusing on getting to safety as soon as possible.

When we got back to a safe area in the forest, the Great Prince berated me for freezing and not running from the danger, adding that the voice that I heard was a trick from Man by means of luring animals in and killing them. Feeling bad about what I had done, I sincerely apologised, but I was also feeling sad because I could have possibly seen Mother once again, but it was not to be. He knew that it was honest because of his wisdom and how he was a very understanding stag, and he was quick to forgive me. He then urged me to come home, to which I obliged. 

When we got back to the den, he waited for me to go in, but I stopped short, still thinking about Mother and how I knew now that she really was never going to come back, as much as I did not want to face that fact. I queried this to my father, and he reluctantly agreed that she was gone. I know that somewhere inside, he was still feeling the pain, but he really was doing his best to stay strong, as you would have to expect from someone so wise. He did tell me that it was best to leave the past behind, but it was as hard for him as it was me. There was a lesson we both had to learn from that, as we were to find out later.

He left to continue his final patrol for the night, and I went back to sleep in the den. I was still feeling bad about cowering in front of my father and being so close to death just moments ago. Being lucky enough to have a second chance at life, I only hoped that I would be able to learn from this. 

That very night, it began to rain for the first time since Fall, and I knew that Winter was about to come to an end with Spring well on it’s way, just as the groundhog predicted.

Little did I or my father know that the flowers were not the only things to begin blossoming that coming Spring.

*

Bonding

The snow had almost completely melted and the first day of Spring had arrived. The flora and green grass had appeared and the waterfalls and rivers were flowing nice and fast after the feeding from freshly evaporated snow. The flowers had not quite bloomed yet but they were not far off. All the animals of the forest, hibernators especially, were looking forward to this time of the year. This was when the forest was at its most beautiful as well as it’s most peaceful.

But it didn't do enough for me on that first day. My father refused to let me come with him and explore the forest amid concerns of my health and safety after that near-death experience. It made me feel bad about myself because I was a prince and perhaps I wasn't yet worthy if I didn't live up to expectation.

The truth is, when Mother was alive, I could be a little more free-spirited and not worry too much about my status as a prince - I just needed to embrace it and go ahead with life as normal. That, however, was when I was younger, and I was fast approaching adolescence when the Great Prince took me in. When he did, his stricter and authoritative methods slowly but surely toned me down from youthful innocence and introduced me to sense of responsibility. If anything, this was the coming-of-age experience.

The point is, I had big hooves to follow if I was going to succeed as a worthy prince.

I was desperate to prove that, and luckily, Thumper - being the great friend that he was - offered to show me how I could be brave by making a ‘brave face’ and intimidate opponents. Flower even displayed his own defence mechanism by releasing his skunk spray upon showing his brave face, much to his own surprise as well as our own! It was an awful smell that I had never sensed before and one that I would not want to again, but Thumper seemed impressed about Flower finding his ‘inner strength’, to which the skunk felt flattered.

As gross as that moment was, it made me realise that greater skill and talent lies within and will only come out when we have the determination to show it. If we are afraid to use it, it will stay put.

So if Flower found his inner strength, why couldn't I?

Well, it actually came out in a different way than expected when Thumper told me to show my brave face with a growl. Instead, I bleated for the first time. I know that this is a common call for deer, but in that particular moment, it wasn't what I had hoped for. Knowing that I needed to work on it, Thumper then suggested that the three of us go out into the forest and practice being brave against certain animals, to which we agreed. 

It was also a chance for us to get some valuable friendly time together, which we had not done since Fall. The rabbit and skunk were always my closest friends, and this is where we began some true bonding.

However, I was not supposed to be out and about as the Great Prince had told me to stay near the den where I was away from danger. If he found out, I am not sure what he would have done, but he probably would have restricted my movements further, thereby limiting my independence.

But at the same time, I was willing to take that risk to prove myself.

We travelled around the forest throughout most of the day, practising our brave faces either on our own or to other animals, some of which confused as to what in God’s name we were up to. Others probably just thought, ‘kids will be kids’, and shrugged it off. We didn't care too much, because we were just enjoying ourselves. The experience was fun as it was educationally practical.

Just on the side, Flower didn't make too brave a face so as to release his spray again, which Thumper and I were relieved about! Well, he couldn't anyway because skunks usually have to wait several days until their spray is plentiful once again to use in defence.

We kept going until we came to a log crossing a small creek, where a grumpy porcupine appeared and told us to keep off his property. He did intimidate us at first, but then I saw my dad close by and decided that this could be the perfect opportunity for me to show him how brave I was, as much as he would get upset at me for being away from the den. So Thumper went to convince him to come while I confronted the porcupine. Though I was a little nervous, I was still very determined.

It turned out to be a bit of a show, really, as after I jumped over him to get across the log, he got enraged and chased me all over until he managed to somehow get airborne and land his long sharp quills right into my backside, causing a sharp pain and sending me off the log and crashing into the water. He had me beat, but then the real worry was hiding from sight of my dad when he eventually appeared. To avoid being seen, I dove underwater, and was only hopeful that I would be able to hold my breath long enough until he disappeared. He eventually did, and when I came up again, I showed my friends what the porcupine had done. Thumper said that it did not look pretty, and he then went to pull the quills out of my behind. It hurt a little more as the rabbit pulled them out one by one. We knew that porcupine quills are hard to get out and hurt every time they get pulled.

In that moment, I was still a little embarrassed at looking a fool and not pulling off what I had hoped for, but Thumper gave me further encouragement by convincing me that no one had gotten that far across the log before. He was saying that I showed courage by not backing down from a challenge, and that this was good progress.

Little did I know that it was about to progress even further in the next moment.

Faline, alerted by my painful calls, soon appeared. She was concerned but I assured her that I was fine. To my displeasure, Ronno showed up shortly afterwards and mocked me for freezing in front of my father out in the meadow. I have no idea how he found out about that, but I imagine things rarely go unnoticed with me in the forest since I am a prince. The crows that sounded the warning that night might have even spread the word. Mind you, the birds in the forest are always sending messages out.

The older fawn was really getting on my nerves at this point. He just had this egotistical and cocky arrogance filled with overconfidence. I don’t know how or why he came to be like this, but there was no way he was going to make any friends in a hurry.

Thumper, likewise fed up, then pushed me forwards in a sign of encouragement to stand up to Ronno, but all that did was head butt my rival, causing him to enrage and chase me. I, along with Thumper on my back, ran as fast as I could through the forest, desperately trying to escape. I could have just gone all out and fought him there, but as much as I did not like Ronno, I never wanted to hurt him at the time, so every opportunity that I got, I always tried to be myself and back down when needed. Especially being a prince, I know that I needed to set an example.

We kept running until we came to a ravine, where Thumper advised me to turn around and take another path, but it was too late as Ronno was blocking me from going anywhere else, so Thumper then told me to run back the way I came and try to clear the ravine. I didn’t have time to second guess as it might be my only chance to escape, plus I was thinking this would be another opportunity to show my courage, so I just took a chance and got more speed up before jumping. We both yelled in fear while I was airborne, but, amazingly, I actually made it to the other side. That jump seemed a bit of a distance for my size, so I was a little surprised and shocked, but feeling proud at the same time. Now it was Thumper’s turn to mock Ronno as he stared at us in jealous defeat from the other side. 

The victory was almost short-lived, though, because I came face to face with none other than my father at that very moment. It was just as well that he was coincidently there, because at first he scolded me for disobeying his earlier order to stay on safe ground, but was then very impressed that I made the jump as he said that he did not achieve such a feat until he had antlers. I then grew proud that he saw how brave I was, and he acknowledged it with a smile. 

The fact that I had done something special while still a developing fawn before adolescence made me realise that even as a kid, I indeed had hidden talent I was not even aware of, and that amazing things can happen if you show willpower and set your mind straight.

Being full of great wisdom, this is something that I know my father would think.

After a moment of sharing proud glances to each other, dad suggested that we head home as the day was fading and he had finished his patrols. I gladly followed him with Thumper still on my back, who was likewise impressed.

Ronno was left behind at the other side. Whatever he thought or did after that, I am not sure. But I am sure that he despised me more, and his grudge would only worsen, as I was to find out later.

The next day, the snow had melted completely, and the forest was becoming more colourful once again. 

Something else was about to become colourful that day.

I began the day with Thumper, who was encouraging me to practise my newly    discovered skill in jumping by clearing a pine cone in respective distances from an elevated rock. Flower did not join us as he was doing some activities with his own family. 

With every jump that I cleared, I became more and more confident. It is that thing about developing that natural ability to the point where it becomes a religion to you. Truth is, I never really had any trouble with my talent to begin with. All I needed to do was bring it out.

But there was even more that was about to come out of me.

My father eventually came by and witnessed my training. Although intrigued, he didn't appear entirely interested despite what he saw the previous day, but he kept it in as he then went to do some patrolling. I noticed that he did this a lot and was intrigued as to why. Thumper suggested that I go and ask him about it as parents apparently like it when their children are curious, because then they can educate them.

Well, I certainly did this a lot with Mother because I was a little younger then and kids are naturally curious about many things. But now I was a little more mature and I did not want to annoy anyone with too much talk. Even Mother taught me well about playing it cool, which I never had any problem with because I was always very down-to-earth.

Still, Thumper insisted that I talk to my dad because the rabbit knew that if the Great Prince was going to raise me, we would need to spend time together and get to know each other better.

So, I plucked up the courage to ask my father what he was doing. I was a little nervous considering how busy he seemed to be and how he might not want to educate me as yet after the hazardous situations I faced. However, I think the evidence of worthiness from the previous day’s show of courage changed his tune, and he did not hesitate in speaking up. He explained that precise observation for danger requires you to look, listen, and smell all at the same time, including ‘feeling the forest’ with your hooves. He also said that a prince cannot let fear of danger interfere from helping others in need.

I admired how much he knew about survival in the forest. As head of all the animals, you have to lead by example, and his was a very fine one to follow if you want to thrive in an environment such as this one. Here, it can be as treacherous as it is beautiful if you are not careful.

The very next moment, the Great Prince encouraged me to come with him on his travels through the forest as he saw that I was willing to learn and he now trusted me to look out for myself. I was thrilled at the thought of once again exploring the forest and going on a journey of self-discovery, but also to be running with the Great Prince.

Little did either of us know that this would be the beginning of something special.

The Great Prince was being helpful in showing me the typical antics of full-grown stags in the forest, knowing that I was coming-of-age and that I should start learning now in order to prepare me well and get me stable in both adolescence and adulthood. I wasn't sure if this was the norm for fawns when they begin to mature, but, as I said earlier, I imagined that since I am a prince, my dad was preparing me as well as possible to take over and succeed him when the time came. 

In normal circumstances, that would be against deer ordinance. But I was going to find out more on that later.

Regardless, our time together the next couple of days was a wonderful and memorable experience that we would both cherish for the rest of our lives. Dad assisted me in climbing elevated paths, teaching me how to spar, and showing me how to clean my antlers on the bark of trees (even if I didn't have them yet). 

Along the way, I kept practising ‘feeling the forest’ with my hooves as well as utilising my other senses to be alert for danger. It was coming along slowly but I eventually got the hang of it when I felt some rumbling in the ground on the morning of the second day. I immediately got it that the herd was running together in the meadow, as they do from time to time. I knew that they were not in danger because the crows would normally being flying overhead and singing their warning cries. 

So, we went to the meadow to find exactly what I had felt was happening: the male stags were all running with each other in a straight line around the open plains. It was an amazing sight to watch, but the sudden unexpected and unpleasant appearance of the antlered Ronno mocking me and joining the run made me think when I was going to get my own antlers. Surely, it wasn't going to be too long now, right?

My dad encouraged me to join in with him in the run anyway and see if I was anything like he was when he was my age. He said that if so, my antlers would be coming very soon. Feeling the confidence after the faith he put in me, I followed him in the run. Very soon, the Great Prince found himself running at the front of the entire herd. Despite being around for a long time, he was still just as fast as he was strong, and that was why he was still the leader. He always said that the day he was afraid to aid in danger would be the day he was no longer fit to lead.

I know that deer are fast runners, but I never really thought about how fast I could actually run - especially when escaping danger, because all you think about in that circumstance is getting to safety. On this occasion, however, I was to find out that my speed was so great, I was able to keep up with my father and bypass all the other stags. To my delight - and to my rival’s disgust - I was also able to pass Ronno, but I barely noticed him and didn't care because I wasn't taking my eyes off the Great Prince as I was very excited about running with him. He was impressed and proud for pulling off that feat of speed, as was I, and we enjoyed every moment of that run in the meadow together.

From there, he was becoming more than a wise figure and mentor. Our father-son relationship was growing.

Come the final of the few days together, he was beginning to lighten from his usually stable and authoritative stature to being a little more free-spirited, like I was. When the flowers bloomed in a small green field, crickets emerged from them when we slammed our hooves into the ground and leaped everywhere. It was an amazing and beautiful sight for both of us and we kept chasing them around the field, having so much fun together. I don't think that he ever experienced something like that before, and I think that it changed his tune about how beautiful nature can be when you give it a real chance. 

But it was more than that. It was a very symbolic moment because that was where our relationship officially ‘blossomed’, so to speak. Very fitting, considering that the blooming of the flowers at that very moment really meant something.

We spent the rest of that day playing around and sliding in the water before heading back to the den before sundown to get some rest for the evening before going to sleep. Before we did that night, as much as he probably would not have wanted to hear it - his earlier advisory of leaving the past in the past - I did mention that Mother would now be resting well considering how happy she would be for the two of us. He just quietly agreed, seemingly happy about that thought but also with his voice a little flat with sadness - possibly about missing his mate, I would have thought - but there was actually more to that, as I was about to find out the very next day.

I just shrugged it off, knowing that he was tired from the day, and happily went to sleep. He did the same without trouble.

I opened my eye onto him just one more time while his eyes were shut, and gave a smile to say ‘thank you’ for all that he did for me before shutting them completely until the next day dawned.

It now seemed that things were about to come good out of the recent tragedy. If only I knew what was to come…

*

Defining moment

It was the following morning, which started out well with my father and I exchanging pleasantries in friendly rival games not far away from his den. 

That is when Friend Owl showed up and changed things. He had brought along a doe named Mena, who I had never met before but who had apparently grown up with Mother. She seemed like a very nice doe and I was interested in getting to know her as well as her history with Mother. However, my father insisted for me to go to the den so that he could talk with them alone. I didn't quite know what was going on here, but something was up because I sensed a little nervousness in his voice. 

Then Mena spilled it that she was going to adopt me and take me to a new home.

I didn't react well to this. What?! After all that we had been through, my father, the Great Prince, is now sending me away? Even after passing every challenge that he had put me through with fluency and then building such a strong bond? How could he do this to me?

He tried to calm me down and explain, but I was too upset to listen.

“Bambi,” He began. “a prince does not…” (that is not the first time that he said that, and it annoyed me even more)

“That is all you care about, not about me!” I angrily yelled.

“Don't you speak to me like that!” He yelled back, shocked about being challenged.

It didn't stop me.

“I wish Mother was here instead of you!”

I then ran back to the den, where I lay for a little while, sad and angry at the same time. I even let the tears come out briefly. I just didn't understand why my own father would send me away after everything was going so good. It didn't make sense to me at first.

But it eventually did after my father came back to explain the situation, by which time I had already let my emotions out to the point where I could calm down and think things through.

It turned out that the night my Mother died and the Great Prince took me into his den, the great stag was negotiating with Friend Owl about finding me a new mother. That would have to wait until Spring because there was not a lot of food available during the winter and it would be hard for does to feed more mouths. Therefore, as my father, the Great Prince would have to take me in for the time being.

Had I been awake to listen in and not so emotionally distraught that night, I would have understood better and not reacted so badly.

I understand now that he was only trying to help me.

He also mentioned that it is the duty of a prince to look after the herds while does care for the young, and that he must ignore his own feelings and do what is best for others. It was all a part of deer ordinance in the forest, and I had a feeling that perhaps that had been slightly compromised with the Great Prince being taken out of his comfort zone by having leisure time with a fawn, when that is actually the duty of the does.

After he reasoned well, I understood and apologised for jumping to conclusions. I was still young and still learning, so it would be easy to do so in such a situation as this. I then said that I would be happy to go with Mena considering that she was going to be a new mother to love and take care of me. She had a very calm, sweet and caring personality, just like Mother. For these reasons, I couldn't pass her up.

But at the same time, I was sad about leaving my father at a point where we were very close together. I know that he was feeling it as well because of how flat his voice had become when he talked to me. He really was reluctant to be letting me go, but as he said, he had to do what was best for others.

Included was the fact that Mena’s home was very far from my familiar territory where all my friends were, so it was going to be hard to see them around as well. 

But knowing that I needed a mother to raise me until I got older, I had to do what I knew was best.

Word did spread quickly about me leaving - most likely from the birds because they fly everywhere and don't miss what is going on around the forest that easily. My closest friends, Thumper and his sisters, Flower, and Faline, then came by the den late in the afternoon to say goodbye to me. It was hard because they had been such great support in difficult times that they had become a part of my family. It felt like I was about to indefinitely lose even more family members.

The truth is - my father aside - their love and support for me after Mother died was absolutely second-to-none, and their help and advice was an important step in my development from innocence to experience. Above most, it made me very resilient to the difficult challenges - both physical and psychological - that life threw my way. I am not sure if I would have even been half the successor to my father if not for them all.

Needless to say I really was going to miss all that, but Thumper reminded me to remember everything that I had learned and not to forget that the love and support would not be lost forever as they would still be around for me. Even my father hinted that before he let me go.

That gave me further confidence to stand tall.

I know that I needed to keep that confidence because as a prince, I would still have a lot to live up to, as my father did. Any prince has to lead by example, and I always took that side of me very seriously.

So after saying farewell to my friends, the Great Prince took me to let me go with Mena. He was very gentle with me and he promised to visit soon. I promised him that I would be as good with Mena as I was with Mother. I then gave him a farewell hug, saying or thinking along the lines of ‘sorry, thank you for what you have done for me, and I love you’, before walking away with my new adoptive mother. He acknowledged that message before leaving the scene. I know at that moment he was still feeling sad about letting me go, as much as he was trying hard to hide it.

What was to come next after that was my moment of truth.

Mena and I walked a little distance in the golden glowing evening of the forest to the destination of her home. I was still feeling mellow about everything, as it showed with my head down as I walked slowly. It was hard to fathom as it had all happened that very day, and I knew that I would still need time to let it sink in.

All of a sudden, Ronno appeared from out of the bushes - a menacing smirk on his face, ready to taunt me once again. He was the last individual that I wanted to see right now in a situation like this. I didn't want to see him at all, but now was the worst time.

I know that he was thinking that this was the right time to get back at me out of revenge and jealousy for me always getting the best of him. First, he mocked sympathy for me, but, remembering what I had been taught about being strong, I just ignored him and continued to follow Mena. 

Then he crossed the line:

“It’s got to be hard to have a father that is so ashamed of you that he would give you away.”

That personal attack was the breaking point. After so much hidden hatred and anger that I had for him and his ego all this time, I wanted to get to him so badly. I was too timid to stand up for myself before, but now, after all that I had learned - and the emotional stress that I was feeling at that point - I finally let it come out. So I charged full speed and tackled him, and the fight was on.

It is important to rise above any bullying that comes your way, but when someone makes it very personal, it is a different story. When someone sticks their nose where it doesn't belong, they need to be taught a serious lesson. 

This is what I thought at the time, anyway.

We fought each other for a short time, butting heads and striking with our hooves. I knocked him to the ground a few times and he got a couple of corking shots in my chest. But no matter how much pain we put on each other, neither of us were going to stop at anything with this rivalry now at it’s most intense.

Then Mena came to stall the fight. It did not stop Ronno ramming into me again, forcing me to bump the doe, which then caused her to step into a human trap: a rope with a loop attached to a tree with tin bells. The loop grabbed her leg firmly and the bells rang loud every time she tried to move, thereby alerting Man to a capture and providing an open target to hunt down.

Ronno and I stopped fighting and both looked on in shock before we immediately heard the signs of danger: First the crows flying into the forest again to sound their warning of danger, then the distant sound of ferocious barking from Man’s dogs. They were on their way to attack once again.

Like I did once before, I froze in fear and was left in a trance again. I barely noticed Mena telling us both to make a run for safety, or Ronno running away in his own state of fear. Mine was more out of unexpected shock and surprise, like the near-death experience that night out in the meadow. But after just a few moments standing there and Mena telling me again and again to run, it suddenly hit me about what I had been told by my father about never freezing and always running from danger. That thought was like muscle memory in a way, and it automatically snapped me out of the trance and got me running away, just when I caught four dogs approaching in my sight.

Then Mena yelled something familiar:

“Faster, Bambi! Don’t look back! Keep running! Keep running!”

These were the exact words that Mother commanded to me before she was taken, and it made me stop and look back at my trapped adoptive mother. That was the moment that I made my big decision: No, I am not like how I used to be. I cannot just run away and leave my new mother to be killed. I already lost one mother. I am not going to lose another. I came to grips with the fact that I had come a long way since my days of innocence, and I was not going to let my efforts in learning how to be courageous go to waste.

I reverted back to where the dogs would be able to see me and showed my ‘brave face’ to them (which, again, was only a bleat), thereby forcing them to follow me and divert them away from the trapped Mena.

I ran as fast as I could through different areas of the forest with the four dogs hot on my trail, trying to think on the run how I was going to utilise my skills to outsmart them. There was certainly a chance that they could catch and kill me at any moment, and I know that my chances against them may have been slim, but I was not going to let that distract me from focus. Like my father said: A prince may be afraid, but he cannot let fear stop him from acting.

After running a little distance, I came across the log where that porcupine lived, and immediately got an idea to use him as a weapon of some sort. So I tapped on his log and he came out, looking menacing and determined to strike me again considering that he thought I hadn't learned my lesson from that confrontation that we had.

My proud reply: “I learned plenty!”

With that, I pushed on the loose bark on the log and sprung him upwards, where just after I got out of the way, he landed quill first on one of the dogs and sent it yelping in pain. It eventually flung the porcupine off before retreating back to where it came from. 

But two of the four were still hot on my trail as I headed into an open grassland reserve. I wasn't sure what happened to one of them at that point until I was told later how Flower had used his spray to scare it away. That was certainly great help, but I still had a job to finish.

I ran into the long grass in the prairie and used it to hide from the dogs. The weather had now begun to get stormy and rainy, and considering that this was an intense and somewhat dark moment of battle, it was very symbolic - as much as it was fearful.

My hiding was only going to last for a moment because they were going to use their keen sense of smell to seek me out. Then I suddenly remembered what my father taught me about using my hooves to feel movement, and that is exactly what I did: I felt the rumble when the two dogs slowly approached from both sides of me, as well as hearing their growling. Then the ground rumbled harder when they were just about to pounce me, and that is when I jumped out and escaped, leaving them only to collide into each other.

It only stalled them for a moment before they continued chasing me, and there was no way they were going to let up so easily.

After entering the forest on the other side of the prairie, I found the same rocky wall that I tried to climb without success during the winter just gone. Not to say that it wasn't impossible to do it now since the snow had disappeared, but it was still going to be difficult because of how steep it was and how animals with hooves can barely rely on them for grip. Considering that it could be a way to escape and even use rocks as potential weapons, I knew that it was a risk I was willing to take. 

I was willing to put my life on the line at this point to help others, as The Great Prince has hinted on gaining respect by not thinking selfishly. 

In the heat of this battle, I also recognised that it was a matter of being friendly to your environment by using everything around you to your advantage to get the best of your enemies. Along with natural instincts as a form of defence, I remembered what Mother had taught me about respecting the forest so that it will respect you.

This is where it came into practice.

I made the tough choice and headed for the rocky wall, hoping that I would be able to find enough ledges to climb high enough and keep the dogs away. There were a few that I was able to jump and clang onto, but there wasn't a whole lot of space on them and they were slippery, so I did approach them carefully, otherwise one single slip could have proved fatal. As a result, I was slowly making my way up the wall. The dogs, however, were not going to wait to think of another way to get to me, so they climbed. One of them made it past one unstable rock, but the other wasn't so lucky as the rock gave way under its weight and it slipped to its death.

The remaining dog was only a short distance below me. It had an angry and ferocious look on its face - most likely after what had happened to it’s comrades - and despite having to climb up a flat wall, it was determined to kill me.

At this moment, I was the most nervous that I had been throughout this whole battle, because it seemed that I was so close to ending it, yet with the possibility of losing it. It was that nerve-racking do-or-die moment that creates so much tension inside that can make you pass out in fear.

But it was those words about not letting fear hold you back that I kept in my head almost the whole time of this operation which kept me going. To be completely honest, I thought about them every time there was danger or help was needed, and they motivated me well.

In this important moment, I needed it more than ever.

Looking for anything that was around me for leverage, I spotted a cluster of loose rocks in a crack in the wall just above me. It was a lethal risk, but I thought that if I could loosen them a little with my hoof, they might destabilise and go crashing down on the dog, thereby eliminating it for good. I may have gone down with it, but it was the difference of either me or everyone else in the forest.

With a couple of touches, I was able to loosen the rocks, and they came tumbling down like in a small landslide. But even such a small one can be deadly enough to kill at least a few individuals in the line of fire, so to speak. Luckily, I managed to land on a ledge below the one I was on before, and the rocks went past me and towards the dog, forcing it down the wall and out of sight. But it survived and immediately sprung out from the resulting rubble from the fallen rocks, looking even more angry as it kept trying to jump up the wall to get at me, where I was now within reach.

There was nowhere for me to run now. I was completely stranded. The ledge above me was too high to get to in time and the dog was blocking me from going down. At this moment, I really began to shake in fear and was feeling sick inside, knowing that I was seconds away from being killed.

High above me, I heard the voice of the Great Prince calling my name from the top of the rock wall. He had been chasing after us in another rescue effort, but was unable to catch up until that moment. By the time he did, it was useless because with me trapped between the wall and the deadly claws and teeth of the vicious animal, there was nothing that he could do to help me this time. It was now between me and the enemy. All my father could do was shout out in fear, with a little encouragement at the same time.

Hearing faith in my father’s voice was all that I needed right then.

The dog finally made it to the ledge, baring its teeth ferociously and giving me a deadly stare before it was about to attack. But as intimidating as it was to look the enemy in the eye, I didn't give in to that fear of near-death, like before, and remembered another key defensive weapon to use. I turned and kicked the dog square in the jaw with my back hooves, sending it falling back down and plunging to its death. The fall was so far that unless you are an animal twice the size of a stag, there was no chance anyone would have survived it.

The battle was finished. We had won.

Yes, ‘we’. Not 'I'. That means my father and my friends as much as myself. I know that I was the one battling the dogs that whole time, but I still had help during and even before the battle. My father taught me all the necessary survival and defensive techniques and antics, and Thumper and Flower worked with each other to drive one of the dogs away. The porcupine helped as well, as much as I used force on him. Therefore this was always our war, and we always work together to survive in the forest.

Like I said before, you have to respect the forest and be friendly to your surrounding environment, and then it will return you the favour.

I took one last look over the ledge to confirm that the dog had not survived, and it was very clear. The threat was over. All was peaceful once again. Even the rain and thunder stopped at that very moment, seemingly signifying the return of tranquility to the forest in the aftermath of war.

Above me, I heard the sigh of relief from my father. I know that he was also feeling praise for my efforts as much as he was glad that I had survived an inevitable life-and-death battle. Again, it was very much against fawn ordinance - let alone one without his antlers - but that was completely out of the question at this point. The important thing was that I and everyone else in the forest were safe once again.

I made my way up the wall carefully and reached the top, where I made another of my trademark jumps over a gap and to the other side where my father was standing. There, we shared happy and proud glances - not just for the victory, but also for reuniting once again.

But that would be short-lived, because right then, the cliff that I was standing on collapsed and I went down. I fell for a short distance, and that was all that I remembered before blacking out. I must have hit the hard ground with sufficient enough force to kill someone, but I think that I ended up landing on my chest, and that was what winded and stunned me and caused temporary unconsciousness. 

It was first thought that I had died, and thinking so, my father had come to my side and mourned tearfully. He showed how much he really loved me after everything that we had done together, and how his heart was shattered once more - worse this time around - at the thought of losing another family member. I think that he was also feeling sorry for having to give me away.

But luckily I managed to regain consciousness shortly after the fall, much to my father’s and friend’s relief. 

As I said, it was lucky that I hit the ground chest first, because if it was my head, there was no chance that I would have survived. Falling at that speed from just a little height is enough to snap your neck and cause instant fatality.

My father and I shared yet another happy and loving embrace. As we did, he uttered just two words:

“I’m here.”

That was all that needed to be said in that beautiful moment. It summed up how much we both meant to each other.

From a short distance, Thumper, Flower, Friend Owl, and Mena happily observed. I know that they were probably feeling awe-inspired for what I had done as well as relief that I had survived both the battle and the fall. But at the same time, they all knew how close the Great Prince and I had become, and were delighted that we had rekindled our relationship. 

Even Mena already knew this before she met me, and although she was going to take me in, she was more than happy to let me settle.

I think that she also felt pity for me after Mother was taken, because they were both close friends and it was for that fact that they became like a close-knit family. Therefore, Mena considered me one of her own, and so she wanted the best for me - not necessarily to be with her, but only for me to stay safe and well.

As my father and I continued to embrace, the dark clouds cleared and the bright of the moon shone over the land, signifying - in my humble words of spirit, as is my nature - the light of hope and joy after the darkness of fear and evil. It was the perfect moment for the Great Prince and his Young Prince son in a true bonding unity that would never be broken again.

To be completely truthful, it never was broken. It was, and always would be, strong.

*

Full Spring

After that dangerous and courageous battle, The Great Prince decided to take me in permanently for the rest of my youth. As much as I was delighted to remain under my father’s wing, I told him that I would be happy to go with Mena if he needed to stick to his own responsibility as leader of the forest, but he insisted that we could not stay apart after everything that happened between us and how much I proved to him through that act of honour and valour.

He also knew how close I was to my friends and how much we all meant to each other, and therefore, he believed that it would not be right to keep us - a very tight-knit family - apart.

He reminded me that he had learned from me about how beautiful life remains after a new form of life takes over from the one that has served its time and continues an unbroken connection of wonder.

On top of that, he let go of his mantra of leaving the past in the past and instead confronting and learning from it. We both realised that trying to run from your past will never solve anything because it will continue to haunt you forever. Sometimes going back is the only way to go forward.

Besides, we both have some wonderful memories of Mother in earlier times, and it was important to cherish those memories to retain happiness and build resilience to pain and sadness. To me, her spirit has always helped me to stay strong, and I think my father eventually caught on as well.

So, anyway, a couple of days after dad and I settled down, Spring had fully flourished. The trees were filled with fully bloomed flowers of all colour types and the birds, bees and other pollinators were going mad feeding on and utilising their pollen. The flowers produced beautiful smells all over the forest and the singing of the birds made the atmosphere all the more peaceful. I had never felt anything so tranquil in all my youth.

I think that the afterglow from the victory over the enemy and settling down with my father made the tranquility even stronger.

On that particular day, Thumper was telling the story to all my friends in the forest about my heroics - some parts a little exaggerated, probably to make better of my image - before I showed up to see them all. They were amazed and inspired that a young fawn would show such courage in very difficult circumstances, and I don’t think that they ever had more respect for me after that. 

I mean, they already did when I first came into this world because I was a prince and they looked up to me for that reason. But it was their friendly presence and support that gave me my down-to-earth image, and I wanted to repay that faith they had in me by giving it back to them.

So, in between the story telling, Friend Owl pointed out that my spots had finally disappeared and my antlers were coming in. That meant I had now reached adolescence. It seemed to have come faster than I anticipated, but most animals in the forest do, in fact, grow into adulthood anywhere between four to twelve seasons, so it made sense.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with everyone, Ronno soon appeared. He was fuming with more hatred and envy against me than ever just because I had officially outperformed him in everything - not that I ever wanted to boast about it. His oversized ego just could not take it, and he was never going to swallow his pride.

I was surprised that his mother either never took notice of this or failed to discipline him, if, that is, she did not have an ego herself and passed it down to her son. But whether it was his mother or him, it was Ronno’s decision in the end, and he had no one to blame but himself.

Knowing that he could not get to me again after everything that happened and with the great support network surrounding me, he coldly reminded me that our rivalry was not finished and that he would return again one day for revenge. 

That was right before he stepped and slipped on the shell of a snapping turtle and fell into the water. Out of anger, the turtle bit the adolescent fawn on the nose, causing Ronno to completely freak out in fear and pain and run away with the turtle holding the grip of its mouth firmly.

Everyone found it very amusing, as did I. It felt good to see my nemesis being taught a lesson - not that it changed him one bit, sadly.

I knew that we would indeed meet up again one day, and that it was not going to go down well. Whatever it was going to come down to, I would be prepared to take him on. But I would only do it for good reason, such as if he personally provoked me, like when he insulted my relationship with my father. Unlike him, I would never do it out of foolish pride, otherwise I would be just as bad as him.

I also learned that pushing your pride can only go so far before it comes back to bite you later, and you have to take that hard lesson on the chin and learn from it to then grow and become a more mature and disciplined character.

Alas, some are too weak in the mind to realise that, like Ronno.

After spending a little while with everyone - including sharing a first kiss with Faline and seemingly signifying the beginning of our love - I had to go and meet up with dad as he invited me to a special place. This particular place meant a lot to him and he wanted to share it with me.

He had specifically arranged for near the middle of the day to visit this place, and I didn’t bother to question why because I knew that he was planning a nice surprise for me, and I didn’t want to spoil anything.

When I met up with him a short distance north of his den, he told me that we had already arrived at our destination. He showed me by pulling aside some branches from a bush, which turned out to be a sort of entrance into a hidden place - almost as if it was supposed to be secret.

I saw exactly why when I came in.

It was a beautiful pristine open glade with a small river and the rays of the midday sun beaming through the opening in the tall canopy. I had never seen a glade up until this moment, but of all the beautiful things that I have seen in the forest through my youth, nothing came close to this. The meadow was always nice, but to see an open space in the middle of the forest with all the beautiful elements of nature at their finest - crystal clear water, pure green vegetation, purely scented flowers, golden rays of sunlight - it was hard to describe, but it felt like I had been blessed with the best of the goodness of life, and I had never felt so at peace.

Dad likewise marvelled at the glade like he had only seen it for the first time, and that was because it brought back a wonderful memory that he had not had the chance the relive until this moment. 

He explained that this was where he first met Mother when he was only my age, and that it had been a long time since he had returned here. He regretted holding it off because he was so used to looking and moving forward without taking a backward step. But now he was feeling the tranquility  that evolved from the beginning of his love with Mother, and it was this - aside from being with me, of course - that made him the happiest he had ever been.

I asked him what he was like when he was my age, and, to mine and his delight, he said that he was a lot like me.

That further proved how strong our bond was.

I was thinking that since it was in this glade that sparked my parents love, it was like a blessing in disguise in that it also strengthened the bond between this great father and his son to its highest.

As we continued to gaze up to the rays in the canopy’s opening, butterflies of many different colours circled around the top and bottom levels of the glaze. That wonderful addition to this moment made us feel at one with the beauty of nature, and, again, we had never felt so at peace.

From that moment on, I felt that life was only going to get better.

I will just add that at near the end of winter - I had never actually noticed this until near the middle of spring - a small green plant had begun to sprout out of the top of the log above my father’s den. By the time the flowers had appeared in the trees and the pretty aroma of the forest had strengthened, the plant had grown to twice a big and it’s flower had bloomed. I noticed that several butterflies came to rest on it and pollinate from time to time. 

Other forms of life in the forest had bonded together as one, but that particular moment had symbolised what Mother had told me: Where one thing falls, another grows. Maybe not what was there before, but something new and wonderful, all the same.

That plant blooming there was spiritual sign of mine and my father’s beloved destiny.

On that same day after our memorable moment together in that glade, something came to my attention in the evening after the Great Prince and I were about to settle in for the night - something of a matter of courtesy to someone else who I knew was important to me, even if we barely knew each other at the time. 

I thought that it would only be appropriate to approach this animal upfront once again and pay her a respectable visit.

I asked the Great Prince if I would be able to see Mena again, because she was Mother’s closest friend growing up and it was for that reason that she was like a part of our family. Therefore, I wanted to get to know her better.

I believe that all family members, in blood or bond, must always keep in close contact so that the love remains tight.

My father happily agreed to this and therefore sent Friend Owl out the next day to look for the doe, where he eventually returned with Mena in the early afternoon. She greeted us warmly once again and sincerely thanked me for saving her life. She was still very astounded that a young fawn without antlers would have the guts to put his own life on the line to save the animals of the forest.

When she asked me why, my answer had a rather symbolic vibe:

“It was hard enough losing one mother. The whole forest is like family, and I am not prepared to lose anything close to my heart.”

I didn’t really think when delivering that. It just came out that way by chance, but I was told later by my father how deep it felt and quietly hinted that it possibly defined me. To be honest, as much as anyone can be touched by that statement I made, it is what you do that defines who you are.

Actions always speak louder than words.

So after a short exchange of pleasantries, Mena decided to let me spend a couple of days with her at her home because this would be a good place to get to know each other as it was away from the common noises and activities of the forest and it could be just the two of us. It was also chance to explore new territory. 

Again, my father agreed to this, and so Mena led me away to go to her den, which was a little distance walk away from home. We took the very path that we started when I went with her for the first time, and after walking for several miles through the forest, we soon reached her den in the late afternoon.

She lived on her own in a comfortable bushy den surrounded by a dense covering of trees and lush green shrub. It was very sheltered where no danger could possibly reach or even navigate to so easily. But it was also very quiet, so it seemed serene and tranquil enough to live peacefully without outer disturbance.

After we settled down, she told me everything about growing up with Mother.

They lived fairly close to each other at the time before they first met in the same meadow where I met Faline, which was nine seasons before I was born, when they were both adolescent fawns. They had no problems playing with each other that day and that brought about an immediate sisterly bond. They met up almost every day since, and it even brought their own parents together as good friends, so it was interesting how their bond began something special for their respectable families.

In her own words, what they had found in each other was a nice easy-going personality with a real sense of connection with the beauty of nature - be it either the colourful and tuneful birds, unique woodland animals, or the green and picturesque flora of the forest. Even the mixed colours of the leaves on the trees in Fall, the heavenly vibe from the white of the snow in Winter, and the warmth of the sun in Summer gave them the best of everything that life could offer, and they could not have asked for anything more.

Again, that all came from Mena’s mouth. Mother never actually said any of this, but I am sure that she would have thought the same, knowing how much she and Mena had in common.

Either way, it was one of the most touching stories I have ever heard. 

She then said that shortly after they became adolescent, Mother had met the Great Prince in the previous Spring before this one and immediately fell in love. From there, Mother moved in with the stag at his den that was a little distance away from Mena’s territory, which was where Mother spent most of her time growing up. This would mean that the two sisters-in-bond would be apart and not get to see each other as much, but Mena was a very understanding doe and was more than happy for Mother to be with the one she loved. As hard as it was, she really loved Mother too much to hold her back, and that is why she had to let her go in the end. 

Unlike Mother, though, Mena did not end up getting ‘twitterpated’ - or falling in love with a mate (I will explain that part later) - that Spring. As we all knew, almost everyone falls in love in the Spring, but there are the unlucky few who miss out every now and then. On this particular occasion, Mena, being younger, was very shy and not yet interested in pairing up, so she passed it by and decided to wait until she was older. She needed to know when she was ready for love without rushing into things. She felt that there were many more things to learn as she was coming of age, so she put that first. Fair enough.

The heartbreaking part of the story came when she spoke about the word about Mother’s tragic passing. It had actually come from Friend Owl when he was recruiting suitable does to foster me, and he knew that Mena was one of Mother’s close friends, so he thought it only appropriate to choose her to take me in. She was more than happy to, but as soon as he told her about what happened, she became deeply saddened because of the fact that it was not only the mate of the Great Prince to be taken away, but her closest friend. She thought that of all animals, why did it have to be this special doe?

That is why it would have meant a great deal for her to take care of me in such a difficult time. It would have been very appropriate to do this in her great friend’s honour, and it would help soothe the wounds from the tragedy.

But, again, she saw how close I had become with the Great Prince, and knowing that a part of her family-in-bond was happy, it made her happy. To her, that was the most important thing: As long as her family was in a good place, it always made her feel at peace.

I swear that all of this was so touching that we both watered at the eyes several times. Just hearing about the happy memories of Mother along with the sadness of her loss hit the heart very deep. But as much as we both missed her dearly, there were so many good things that made her a unique doe, and that kept both Mena and I going strong. I am sure my father felt the same.

We spent that time talking about Mother before going out briefly for a dinner graze on some grass and enjoying the golden lights of the setting sun through the trees. Then when the night came, she was very eager to know about my time with the Great Prince. So, I told her about everything we did during the early Spring and the common feelings were shared together, including how much we learned from each other. I also mentioned our long overdue visit to the glade where he and Mother first met. 

Touched by the binding love story between father and son, Mena said that she understood why it was hard for us to part the day that I was supposed to become her foster son. She hinted that she also felt slightly reluctant to have to take me away from the Great Prince, and how she was more than happy to let us be when watching us embrace after the victory over the enemy.

“After all,” she concluded. “I owed you for saving my life.”

Again, my heart melted hearing that, and we both shared a loving embrace for the first time. She really was a true mother figure in my eyes, and I have loved her as much as I loved Mother.

The next day, I let her show me her territory. It was more dense with less open areas than my own, but it was just as beautiful. Various coloured flowers  along with their noisy but pretty pollinators clouded around the ground flora while the beautifully diverse woodland creatures moved through the trees and ground everywhere you went. Springtime really was a busy and bustling time for everyone, and there was no shortage of activity. No one complained, though, because they all wanted to make the most of this wonderful time of the year - winter hibernators, especially!

But it was also the fact that Spring was the season where almost every animal in the forest matched up with a mate and fell in love - or became ‘twitterpated’. There was certainly a romantic atmosphere in this season, and so it only made sense to go ahead with it now.

But I was not to know this logic yet because I was still young at this time and would have to wait until I was older to understand. Even Mena said so when I asked her why everyone was acting so strange.

As curious as I was, it did not bother me at all. I just enjoyed the beauty of the season.

She introduced me to some of her closest deer friends, who all gave me warm greetings. The mention of my name rang familiar to some of them because I was the Young Prince, but Mena tried to keep my status hidden because she probably got the impression that I was too used to all the attention and therefore may have wanted a break from it all. I really did not mind, though, because everyone was being so genuine and without annoyance or bad attitude, so it was good to be making new friends.

The truth is, bar Ronno, not one animal I ever met was antagonistic in any way. 

The young doe and I had a wonderful day together - so special that we created another family bond that was almost as strong as mine with the Great Prince. We then settled in for the evening before going peacefully to sleep, never to forget our memorable couple of days that brought great happiness to our lives. 

She took me home the next day. Along the way, she told me this was some of the most enjoyable times she had since she was with Mother, and she gave me a truly heartfelt thanks. I was flattered, and I also thanked her for everything that she did for me. I was pleased that we both honoured Mother’s legacy by coming together and upholding a memorable tradition. Again, it really meant a lot.

We reached my father’s den by the early afternoon. He wasn’t there yet because he was out doing his usual patrolling, so Mena offered to stay with me until he came back, which I happily accepted. As we waited around, she gave me some valuable advice:

“I know that your father loves you for who you are, not just for what you did. As much as your acts were valorous, you stayed true to yourself. That is all that anyone can ask of you, Bambi. That is why you are so loved. Never forget yourself and you will never fail.”

Very deep words, but full of wisdom. I have always kept them in my mind ever since, and used them when I needed it most.

After a little time went by, the Great Prince returned from his patrols. Mena and I both reminisced on our last two days together to him, and he was very delighted at the fact that we had so much fun together. He thanked Mena sincerely for looking after me and allowed her to visit me again at any time she wanted to. She obliged, as did I. I was more than happy to see her again, because she had become a true part of our family, and it would only be appropriate to remain in contact with all your family members and close friends.

She then left to go back home, and the Great Prince and I could not help happily staring for a while in the direction she went - even after she had disappeared. When we finally turned away to go for an afternoon patrol of the forest, we quietly reflected on the experience with the doe.

“It is like Mother never left.” I said.

“She didn’t.”  The Great Prince replied with a proud smile. “She was there the whole time.”

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