“Children!” he said. His might was gentled. They knew no fear of him.

“We see you, Father!” they replied.

“Are they good?” he queried of Faline. “Do they behave as they should?”

“They are good children,” Faline answered. “Perhaps Geno is overnervous.”

“That’s well, my son. You’ll live the longer. But I have heard that his politeness fails at times, Faline. Why is this?”

“I think it’s nervousness again.”

“I see. Then, my son, learn to be careful and cheerful at the same time. You may need friends, and courtesy is the way to make them. One day I will teach you. In the meantime pay good heed to your mother and obey her in all things.”

Geno hung his head beneath this reprimand and Gurri allowed her gaze to wander to her mother. When they looked for Bambi again, he was gone.

“Father!” Gurri cried in astonishment.

Faline stood quite still, her head thrown up, her nostrils twitching.

“Your father’s gone,” she said at last.

“But,” Geno stammered in bewilderment, “I never heard a sound!”

“Our father doesn’t make a sound,” Gurri responded proudly. “He’s the leader.”

“That’s right.” Faline settled herself back on her haunches. “Now for the rest of our sleep.”

They all three lay down side by side; but for a while Geno did not close his eyes.

“My goodness,” he was thinking, “I make more noise than that, even when I just breathe!”

A fly droned by on wings of mist. The fly made more sound than Bambi!