The clearing was now behind him. A new thicket took him in. From behind him came another shout, another sharp thunderclap, and in the twigs above there was a very brief rattling, like a first spray of hailstones. Then it became quieter. Bambi ran. A pheasant with a twisted neck lay dying on the snow, twitching his wings weakly. As he heard Bambi approach he stopped his spasmodic movements and whispered, “It’s finished ...” Bambi paid him no attention and continued running. He found himself in a tangle of undergrowth that forced him to slow his pace and look for a path. He kicked around himself impatiently. “Over here,” called somebody in a broken voice. Bambi had no choice but to follow it, and immediately found himself in a place where he could walk. But in front of him somebody was struggling to get to her feet. It was the hare’s wife. It was her who had called. “Do you think you could give me a little help?” she said. Bambi looked at her and was shocked. Her rear legs dragged lifeless through the snow which was red and beginning to melt from the warm blood that dropped from her. She said once again, “Do you think you could give me a little help?” She spoke as if she were perfectly alright, relaxed and almost gay. “I don’t know what’s happened to me,” she continued, “it’s certainly not anything important ... but at the moment ... I can’t walk ...” As she spoke she sank down onto her side and she was dead. Bambi, once again, was horrified and he ran away.
“Bambi!”
He stopped abruptly. That was one of his own people.
It was heard again, “Bambi ... is it you?”
There was Gobo stuck helplessly in the snow. He had no strength at all and could not even get onto his feet. He lay there as if he had been buried and merely raised his head weakly. Bambi went over to him in some agitation.
“Where’s your mother, Gobo?” he gasped, “and where’s Faline?” Bambi spoke quickly, agitated and impatient. In his anxiety his heart continued to beat hard.
“Mother and Faline had to go,” answered Gobo in despair. He spoke gently, but as earnest and as wise as a grownup. “They had to leave me lying here. I’ve had it. You’ve got to go too, Bambi.”
“Get up!” Bambi yelled. “Gobo, get up! You’ve been resting long enough. There isn’t any more time for that! Get up! Come with me!”
“No, just leave it, Bambi,” answered Gobo quietly, “I can’t stand up. It’s impossible. I wish I could come with you, you know that, but I’m just too weak.”
“What’s going to happen to you then?” Bambi persisted.