On mornings like this Bambi would range out further afield than he normally would. When the sun had barely risen he arrived at his chamber under the beech tree. Over on the other side, there where he had used to live, there was something moving. Bambi remained hidden in the undergrowth and watched. He was right, someone of his own species was moving about there, seeking out the patches that were free of snow and setting about the early-risen grasses.
At first, Bambi wanted to turn round and go away, but then he saw that it was Faline. His first urge was to jump forward and call to her. But he stayed where he was as if rooted to the spot. It was so long since he had last seen Faline. His heart began to beat hotly. Faline was walking slowly, as if she were tired or sad. She looked like her mother now, looked like Aunt Ena, and when Bambi noticed this it was with painful astonishment.
Faline raised her head and looked in his direction, as if she could feel that he was near.
Again, Bambi felt the urge to go toward her, but, again, he stayed where he was, powerless and lame, he was unable to move.
He saw that Faline had become old and grey.
Gay and audacious little Faline, he thought, she used to be so beautiful, so nimble. His entire childhood suddenly shimmered up in him. The meadow, the paths his mother led him along, the happy games with Gobo and Faline, the good grasshopper and the butterfly, the struggle with Karus and Ronno by which he had won Faline for himself. He suddenly felt happy again, but nonetheless shaken.
Over there, Faline was walking away with her head sunk down to the ground, slow, tired and sad. At that moment Bambi loved her with a gush of tender pity, he wanted to cross through the hole under the beech trunk, which for so long had separated him from her and from the others, wanted to fetch her back, to talk to her about the time when they had been children, above all to talk about the past.
As he thought this he watched her as she went on through the bare bushes and finally disappeared from sight.
He stood there for a long time, looking in her direction.
A clap of thunder crashed. Bambi was startled.