He hit him with such force than no-one could have resisted it and Karus was lying in the grass before he knew what had happened to him.
He got up again as fast as lightning, but he was barely back on his feet when he was struck by another blow that left him reeling.
“Bambi!” he shouted, and was about to shout a second time, “Bam...” when a third blow slid down from his shoulder and caused so much pain it took his breath away.
Karus jumped to one side to avoid receiving yet another blow from Bambi. He suddenly felt remarkably weak, and realized, to his disgust, that this was now a matter of life and death. A cold fear took hold of him. He turned to flee from Bambi who was rushing close behind, and realized from Bambi’s silence that in every sense, his anger and his ruthlessness, he was determined to kill him. Karus fell into a panic. He turned away from the path, used the last of his strength to break through into the bushes, there was nothing he could wish for, nothing he could think of, other than to yearn for mercy or for rescue.
Bambi suddenly stopped and left him alone. Karus was so terrified that he did not notice this and ran on through the bushes, as well as he could.
But Bambi had stopped because he had heard the fine call of Faline. He listened, there she called again, in fear, oppressed. He immediately turned round and hurried back.
Once he was back on the meadow he saw her just as she was fleeing into the thicket, pursued by Ronno.
“Ronno!” called Bambi. He was not aware that he had called out.
Ronno was not able to run very fast because his limp held him back, and he stopped.
“Well, look who it is,” he said in a genteel tone, “it’s little Bambi! Can I help you in any way?”