Bambi's Children by Felix Salten

Author:Felix Salten
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

IT WAS SOME TIME LATER during that melancholy trek that they found Rolla. They made slow progress, pausing here and there to visit this injured animal or that. Geno and Gurri never ceased to marvel at the fortitude of the wounded pheasants. Not even the severest injury could break their pride. With shattered wings they were not dismayed in their efforts to ascend, still hopeful after a thousand failures.

“Do you suppose they don’t feel pain as we do?” Geno asked.

Gurri wrinkled her forehead between her eyes. “They must feel it,” she decided. “Birds are queer creatures, different from us. They have great pride.”

“Perhaps it’s because they can fly,” suggested Geno. “How could a thing with wings be humble?”

“Do you suppose there’s any place where He is not?”

“How can there be? The land finishes at the forest’s edge.”

“But it doesn’t. Don’t forget I’ve been beyond that, and from the place where the brown He kept me, I could see the land going on forever.”

“Well, there must be Hes there, or the birds would go. They can fly far. Some of them tell the tallest stories, about pools so big that it takes weeks to fly across them.”

“Perhaps it’s true.”

“I wouldn’t know. A swallow told me that even though the pools are made of water, you can’t drink it.”

Faline said anxiously, “Geno! Gurri! Come here.”

They hurried forward.

“What is it, Mother?”

“I’m afraid something terrible has happened to your Aunt Rolla.”

“Aunt Rolla!”

They listened.

“That’s not Aunt Rolla’s voice,” said Geno.

Bambi plunged through a privet hedge into a clearing. It was Rolla lying on her side.

“Rolla,” Faline cried, “what is it?”

Rolla’s voice was weak. “There’s something wrong with my hind leg.”

“Not the thunder-stick!” Faline’s voice shook with horror.

“I’m afraid so.”

Bambi examined the leg.

“It’s not so bad,” he exclaimed with relief. “How did it happen? Didn’t you do what I told you?”

“Oh, yes, we went to the edge of the forest just as you said, but some of the hunters left the main body and came where we were hiding. They carried a thing in their front paws, and every now and then they lifted it to their mouths.”

“That’s how they drink,” said Bambi.

“Well, when they came where we were, we had to run. I sent the children one way while I went another. They came after me, of course, but I thought I’d get away. You remember, Faline, we were saying that we had got through many winters successfully. . . . Anyhow, I thought I’d got rid of them again. I was just turning into cover when the thunder-stick struck me. It knocked me right off my feet, but I managed to get up and drag myself as far as here.”

“Then why don’t you go on?” Geno asked.

“I can’t move it now. My leg is like a stick.”

“Did the children behave well?”

“Oh, yes, Faline, very well.”

“Do you . . .” Faline hesitated . . . “do you suppose they’re safe?”

“That is the only thing that worries me.” Rolla’s eyes showed how deep was her worry.

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