Now the deer in the great field knew Eepersip, and they all loved her, because she was so kind to them. Even the little fawns loved her and made no attempt to run away when she appeared. Twilight and dawn, when the deer were all lying down, were her favourite times in the field. Then she would dance about in her fern dress, singing so sweetly that all the birds watched her. She began to love the birds and butterflies even more than in the first days of her wildness, and almost worshipped them.
The morning after this curious face-to-face meeting with Eepersip, Mr. Eigleen spoke about another plan. “Eepersip every morning comes up from wherever she sleeps to get a drink of water from the little pool. Now do you know that big pine-tree that stands beside the pool?”
“Yes,” said Mrs. Eigleen.
“Well, I will go and hide behind that tree tomorrow morning, and when she comes up to the pool I will try to catch her by jumping out at her when she comes by.”
“Why do you not do it this morning?” inquired Mrs. Ikkisfield.
“Well, you see,” replied Mr. Eigleen, “she has had her morning drink, for I saw her as I was getting out of bed.”
“I see,” said Mrs. Ikkisfield. “But be sure that you get up in time next morning.”
“I will,” said Mr. Eigleen. “But if you’re up and awake before I am, be sure to pull me by my left ear.”
Eepersip was becoming more wary, now she had discovered that they were trying to catch her. But still she took it as a sort of joke. In the first place, she thought she could easily escape again if they did catch her. But she very much doubted if they could do it. For hours every day she practised running, leaping, dancing, and prowling, until she was as fleet as a deer and as soft on her feet as a lynx. She had practised leaping over high objects, and if someone were chasing her she could now escape being cornered by jumping a fence. She had trained herself until, even without a running start, she could clear the back of a standing fawn, or, with a start, a large buck standing full height. All these exercises made her light as a feather and graceful as a fern.