FROM THEN ON, BOSO TRIED to throw himself in Geno’s path. His instinct was to increase the advantage he had gained over Geno, either by defeating him in battle or by causing him to seek refuge again in flight.
He had not bargained on meeting his adversary in the company of his two newly acquired brothers, but when this happened he decided not to back down until he had exchanged a satisfactory number of insults with them. He was by this time so convinced of Geno’s cowardice and of his own outstanding courage that nothing could daunt him.
Membo was the first to see Boso moving through the undergrowth toward them.
“G-geno,” he cried, his stammering made worse by excitement, “B-boso is c-coming.”
Geno stopped dead.
“Oh,” he said uncertainly.
“Don’t worry,” Nello urged him. “We are with you.”
“I’m not worrying,” asserted Geno.
Boso came within hailing distance.
“So,” he said tauntingly, “you brought a few friends along today, eh? Well, do you think the three of you can stand still and take what’s coming to you?”
“S-s-see h-h-h-,” began Membo; but before he could get the words out, Geno said mildly:
“Boso, I don’t want to fight you.”
“Oh, you don’t. Well, I have a different idea.”
“Geno,” Nello whispered, “I’m afraid there’s no way out. You’ll have to teach this fellow a lesson.”
Geno stared down at the ground.
“No,” he said stubbornly, “I don’t want to fight.”
With that determined statement, he turned and trotted away. Membo and Nello watched his retreat with astonishment.
“Huh!” Boso sneered. “Maybe I’d better send the hare to do my fighting. It seems I’m too big for your friend.”
“You’re not too big for me,” Nello quietly advised him, “and you’d better be careful.”
“It’s easy for you to talk,” Boso said. “There are two of you. Anyhow, I’ve no quarrel with either of you. My quarrel is with Geno. If he’s too cowardly to fight, that’s all there is to it.”
In fairness, Nello could find nothing wrong with this argument. He signaled to Membo and the two of them walked forlornly after Geno.
That evening Geno was aware of the distrust in the hearts of all about him. Even Faline was subdued. The roe-deer were still sleeping at night, and Membo and Nello only waited for the females to go off to sleep before they demanded an explanation from their adopted brother.
“It just doesn’t make sense,” they argued. “You’re at least as big and as strong as Boso.”
“I’m sorry,” Geno said.
“But listen,” Nello, who usually said little, found speech rushing to him: “this has gone beyond the personal question of whether you will or will not fight Boso. Your reputation throughout the forest is at stake. Perhaps . . .” he hesitated . . .“perhaps even Bambi’s!”
“What difference would a fight between Boso and me make to my father’s reputation?” queried Geno scornfully.
“It might be quite important. None of us can afford to take the risk of damaging it.”
Gurri said softly, “I’m sure Geno will work his problem out.”
The brothers were surprised to hear Gurri’s voice. They had believed her asleep. Geno said nothing, but he was grateful for her intervention.
Next morning he got up early, but not earlier than Gurri.
“I’d like to walk with you today,” she said.
“Where are you going?”
“Oh, just around. Nowhere in particular.”
“That’s what I feel like. A lazy day.”
“Let’s go, then.”
They drifted slowly along, admiring the foliage of the trees, the flowers that bloomed on the sunny side of grassy banks. Geno told his sister what his father had said about the likeness that existed between the trees and the deer.
“What a splendid idea!” Gurri said enthusiastically.
“I thought so,” Geno concurred. “I wish we could see more of Father.”
“You will, soon,” Gurri assured him.
They came to the meadow and the pool. Metal-colored dragon-flies shuttled back and forth, or spread their shimmering wings in rest upon a broad dock leaf. Frogs sprang from the banks as they passed, diving into the water and swimming vigorously below the surface until they reached the other side. Both Geno and Gurri drank of the water before they continued on their way.
They watched a nest of ants purposeful about their business, and stood quietly while a spider spun its intricate, deceiving web.
They poked black noses into bushes where nesting birds sat quietly on their eggs: thrushes, tomtits, sparrows, robins, all concerned with the intimate cares of preparing for the baby birds.
Once Geno glanced up into a half-dead elm. Two huge black birds sat on a broken bough. He had a sudden feeling that he knew them. He was right.
One of them said, “It’s young never-say-die.”
“So it is. He looks well, doesn’t he?”
“How do you do?” said Geno. “This is my sister.”
“Pleased to meet you,” said the second crow.
“You look well, too,” Geno told them.
“I should think so,” the first one said. “Would you like to know what we’ve eaten since yesterday?”
Gurri shuddered. “No thank you.”
“Just as you say. But talking of food reminds me. I know where there’s a nice little snack to be picked up.” He whispered hoarsely to his companion. The two of them flapped off their supporting bough. “Goodbye. We’ll see you again, perhaps!”
“Birds and He are alike in some ways,” Gurri murmured.
“What do you mean?”
“They seem to be capable of so much harm and so much good. I wish I could understand why He both feeds us and kills us. I think I should then have the answer to a lot of things that puzzle me.”
Without noticing where they were going, they had wandered back to their clearing. Neither Faline nor the brothers were there. It lay peaceful and empty under the sun, seeming to stretch before their thoughtful eyes.
Gurri said abruptly: “There’s Perri. She seems to be in a terrible hurry.”
They watched the squirrel swing nimbly from tree to tree until she had arrived at her private branch on the oak.
“What’s the matter?” Gurri asked.
“There’s trouble on the way again,” she said excitedly. “I just heard the news. There’s a young fox in the district.”
“A young fox! Does the hare know?”
“I’ll give him the bad news as soon as I see him. Much worse from my point of view is the marten.”
“Is there a marten, too?”
“Yes. A big creature. If I could only understand what good martens are in the scheme of things!”
“I was just saying much the same thing about Him.”
“Well, Gurri, He kills martens sometimes. Really, when I come to think of it, I have little to grumble at in Him.”
“I never thought of that before.” Gurri looked puzzled. “When you consider the matter, there are only a few of us who have to be frightened of Him.”
“Whereas martens do no good to anything.”
“I guess we’re getting to be too big for either the fox or the marten to do us much harm.”
“You’re lucky,” grumbled Perri. “If I were only as big as you, now, I’d give the marten what for—I give you my word.”
“You haven’t seen Lana or Boso around, I suppose,” Geno asked casually.
“Boso, no, but Lana was not so far from here a little while back. I saw her myself.”
“Thank you.” Geno was just turning away, when Perri called him closer.
“Listen, Geno,” she whispered hurriedly, “of course it’s none of my business, but if it’s Lana who is holding you back from whipping Boso, forget it. I’ve lived longer than you, my boy, and she won’t hold it against you for long.”
“There’s my father, too,” Geno objected. “He wanted me to make it up with Boso.”
“Well, I’ll tell you about that too. A fellow like Boso must have his fight before he can get around to thinking about making peace. And that’s another funny thing you’ll learn as you get older. You can’t just have a state of peace. You’ve got to have war first and then make peace.”
“I see,” said Geno. “Well, thank you for your advice. I think I’ll be getting along.”
At this moment there was a rustle behind the elder bush and a young buck ran up to them. He was older than Geno, if not fully mature. His name was Até, and Geno had met him during his lonely wanderings through the woodlands.
“Hello, Geno,” he said, “it’s nice to see you.”
Gurri, who had wandered away to give Perri a chance to talk in private with Geno, looked up. Até noticed her at once.
“Who’s that?” he asked.
“That’s my sister. Gurri,” called Geno, “I’d like to have you meet Até, a friend of mine.”
Gurri came over and the two met.
“You are very lovely, Gurri,” Até murmured, his eyes flashing.
“Really?” Gurri replied coldly. “I’m glad you think so.
Até was not in the least abashed.
“How could I think otherwise?” he asked.
“Do you know my brother well?” Gurri inquired. After the introduction Geno had gone on ahead. He seemed to be looking for something.
“We’ve met several times. We are good friends.”
“Then perhaps you would tell me,” Gurri hesitated, “what you think of—his running away from Boso?”
“Oh, that!” Até said dramatically. “A deer does not wish to attack his loved one’s brother.”
“You mean, Geno loves Lana! But he’s too young!”
“How can one be too young for love?” Até asked.
“But is he really in love?”
“I don’t know. But it seems altogether possible.”
“Why” said Gurri. “there is Lana, and Geno is with her.”
Até turned to see Geno and Lana in earnest conversation.
“Well,” he said with a sudden change of tone, “I think this is it!”
“This is what?”
“Well, if Boso comes along now he’s likely to run into trouble!”
Lana and Geno disappeared into the shadows of the trees. Gurri and Até followed.
Suddenly Bambi appeared in front of them.
“Father!” began Gurri; but he quieted her.
“Not a sound,” he said, “I want to see what happens.”
“You know?” Gurri inquired.
He melted into the underbrush. Gurri and a more respectful Até followed in Geno’s path.
They came up with Geno and Lana in a clearing. Lana looked up when she heard their hoofbeats.
“Oh, Gurri,” she cried, “It’s nice seeing you!”
“I’m glad to see you,” Gurri replied sincerely.
“I was just going. Perhaps you’d like to walk with me.”
“I’d like it very much.”
“Perhaps I could escort you both,” suggested Até.
All of them were surprised to hear Perri’s voice again directly above them.
“I followed you,” she said, “to keep a lookout. Boso’s coming.”
“Oh dear, perhaps you’d better stay then, Gurri,” said Lana.
“Not at all. On your way, all of you,” commanded Geno.
Até’s eyes sparkled.
“Come on,” he said. He led them away.
Geno heard Boso’s careless advance a long way off. He dashed into the clearing, looking as fierce as he could.
“Were you talking to my sister?” he demanded.
“I was, as a matter of fact.”
“I forbid it, do you hear? I won’t allow it.”
“I’m afraid it has nothing to do with you.”
“Oh, it hasn’t, eh! You’d better get ready to run again. There are ways of making you do things.”
“I’d like to learn them.”
Boso wasted no more time, but rushed into a charge. Geno waited until Boso was almost on him and stepped lightly to one side. His own impetus carried Boso head foremost into a thick and thorny bramble. He emerged fuming.
“So you still can’t stand up and face me. What do you think this is, a dance?”
“It looked rather like a mole at work. Except that moles have more sense than to bore holes in thorn-bushes.”
“All right, smarty. Look out for yourself.”
Boso charged again; but this time Geno did not move. He remained planted like a rock, his four legs extended like the piers of an arch. Boso bounced off him as a chestnut bounces when it hits the ground.
“You’ll catch a dreadful headache that way,” murmured Geno.
“I’ll kill you!” raged Boso. “I’ll break you in pieces.”
He charged and, turning, charged again. Geno met his onrushes calmly. Head to head they strove together as the Kings had done, except that neither Geno nor Boso had the great entangling antlers to make their efforts deadly.
Boso broke free and charged once more. This time Geno ran to meet him. They met with a terrific shock. Boso reeled. Pouncing on his advantage, Geno smashed into Boso’s flank. Boso gave ground and again Geno charged. The unfortunate Boso almost left the ground. He shot sideways and landed on his back.
Geno retired.
For a time there was no sound save the hoarse breathing of the fighters. Then Boso scrambled dizzily to his feet.
“Boso,” Geno said, “we’ve had our fight. Now let’s be friends.”
Boso did not reply.
Geno went on, “I think you’ve been very badly treated by all of us, and I’m sorry. Can’t things be as they were?”
The moment to make peace had come, but Boso did not take advantage of it. With his head lowered, he staggered blindly away.
Até, Gurri and Lana came out from the undergrowth.
“You watched,” Geno accused them.
“And a very good fight it was,” said Até.
Lana was trembling.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Geno said quietly. “Lana, I’m sorry,”
“Don’t come near me,” Lana cried. “Até, take me home at once, please.”
Gurri softly nuzzled her brother.
“Don’t worry, Geno,” she said. “I’m sure things will come out all right.”
“I hoped no one would see,” he mumbled. “I didn’t want it talked about.”
“You know the forest is always full of eyes,” said Gurri. “You can’t expect to keep a thing like this secret.”
Slowly Geno followed her back to the clearing.